fort

noun

ˈfȯrt 

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

Synonyms

• bastion
• castle
• citadel
• fastness
• fortification
• fortress
• hold
• redoubt
• stronghold

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

There was no one to hold down the fort, so to speak. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025

In my experience, bedsheet forts and dark rooms with warm covers create the perfect vibe. —Caroline Fleck, Contributor, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025

Argentario itself, however, was in those years a place of forts and garrisons, with a small civilian population concentrated in two small harbor towns, Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano. —Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025

If the Lakers can hold the fort down while James is out due to injury, things will be much easier for them. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

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

Phrases Containing fort

• hold down the fort
• hold the fort

Rhymes for fort

• bort
• corte
• court
• dort
• mort
• norte
• ort
• port
• porte
• quart
• short
• snort

Kids Definition

fort

noun

ˈfō(ə)rt 

ˈfȯ(ə)rt

1

: a strong or fortified place

2

: a permanent army post