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

see also:

hold the fort

Synonyms of fort

• fortress
• stronghold
• fortification
• citadel
• castle
• bastion

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

Now a state park, the first fort on this peninsula was established in the 1630s. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

Mark Merrony, a fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, and editor-in-chief of Antiqvvs, an archaeology magazine, first identified the fort using satellite imagery in 2024. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Go to the Haveli restaurant by the pool for delicious flatbreads and salads, a nice change from the heavier fare at the main fort. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026

Black public figures mingle with slave forts and the most vaunted creations of high art. — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

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