1
: a strong or fortified place
especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification
2
: a permanent army post
often used in place names

Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle. a series of forts along the frontier
Recent Examples on the Web Delegates participated in a yoga session in the south Indian temple town of Hampi and went on quaint heritage walks to palaces and forts in the central Indian city of Indore. Suhasini Raj, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023 Linebackers Ray Chapman and Nick Oliver and an experienced secondary will hold down the fort on a defense that will feature a largely new line. Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023 Travelers will find plenty to do here year-round, including a wellness-centric spa and a centuries-old fort. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023 With Austin Reaves, Mikal Bridges and Tyrese Haliburton among the budding stars holding down the fort, things have really started coming together for the American squad. Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 26 Aug. 2023 Not exactly the Amalfi Coast, but why a fort was named after a lousy Confederate general — and a bad guy — escapes me, anyway. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2023 But the hope is that the fort could still add infrastructure allowing canoers and kayakers to visit during the day, Lindquist said. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023 Built in the 18th century, the fort remains on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2023 The fort would have witnessed the heyday of the sailing barges. William Booth, Washington Post, 24 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fort was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fort

Cite this Entry

“Fort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fort. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

fort

noun
ˈfō(ə)rt How to pronounce fort (audio)
ˈfȯ(ə)rt
1
: a strong or fortified place
2
: a permanent army post

More from Merriam-Webster on fort

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