fortification

noun for·ti·fi·ca·tion \ ˌfȯr-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən \

Definition of fortification

1 :an act or process of fortifying

2 :something that fortifies, defends, or strengthens; especially :works erected to defend a place or position

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Examples of fortification in a Sentence

They began the fortification and reconstruction of the city.
defenders at the border fortifications preparing for an attack

Recent Examples of fortification from the Web

As of Monday morning, the fortification of the Texas Medical Center in Houston appeared to have paid off for most of its 23 hospitals.

— author: sheri fink and alan blinder, Alaska Dispatch News, "Houston’s hospitals treat storm victims and become victims themselves," 28 Aug. 2017
Rather than mindless marauders, Vikings in the Middle Ages must have been a complex, technologically advanced people to build these fortifications.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Disappearing Zika, tricky eclipses, and the world’s oldest ice cores," 18 Aug. 2017
Three walled fortresses make for a journey of a thousand years that echoes a much younger fortification, Detroit, the City on the Strait.

— joe grimm, Detroit Free Press, "Travel: Exploring the historic walled cities of northwestern Russia," 15 July 2017
There, a seemingly underground walled fortification guards fantastic churches, an 80-man monastery and miracles.

— joe grimm, Detroit Free Press, "Travel: Exploring the historic walled cities of northwestern Russia," 15 July 2017
All of which is to be expected, of course: Jon's top priority is preparing humanity for the coming onslaught of undead ice monsters, which requires significant fortification of not just his own people in the North, but Westeros at large.

— josh wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Game of Thrones' Season 7: What The First Three Episode Titles Reveal About What's Coming Next," 7 July 2017
The Frick and Lynch homes on Neptune Avenue in Encinitas feature a concrete seawall constructed after the original wooden fortification was destroyed in a 2010 storm, leaving their homes in danger on the crumbling bluffs.

— deborah sullivan brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "State Supreme Court upholds restrictions on Encinitas seawall," 6 July 2017
General manager Dave Gettleman also took steps to ensure the fortification of the cornerbacks unit after the secondary was largely picked apart in 2016 (Carolina finished the season No.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Panthers position analysis: Ticked-off cornerbacks won’t allow repeat of 2016," 5 July 2017
China has been building up reefs and turning them into islands, some with military fortifications.

— john bacon, USA TODAY, "Navy destroyer sails near disputed island claimed by China," 2 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fortification.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In the Middle Ages, many European cities were entirely enclosed by sturdy walls, with walkways along the top and towers at intervals, designed to make an invasion impossible. A water-filled ditch, or moat, might run alongside the wall for added defense. Such defenses turned the entire city into a fort, or fortress. Over the centuries, fortifications changed steadily with the development of new weaponry. In World War II, the German fortification of the French coast included antitank barriers, bunkers, minefields, and underwater obstacles, but it wasn't enough to turn back the immense force of the Allied invasion on D-day.

First Known Use of fortification

15th century

fortification Synonyms

Synonyms

bastion, castle, citadel, fastness, fort, fortress, hold, redoubt, stronghold

Related Words

battlement, breastwork, bulwark, earthwork, embattlement, parapet, rampart; bunker, dugout; blockhouse, garrison house; alcazar, casbah (also kasbah)

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

FORTIFICATION Defined for English Language Learners

fortification

noun

Definition of fortification for English Language Learners

: the act of building military defenses to protect a place against attack : the act of fortifying something
: a structure (such as a wall or tower) that is built to protect a place