fortification

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

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: fortification in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

The militants, apparently expecting attack from the east, had left their fortifications unprepared for an attack from behind, according to Lt.

— habib khan totakhil, WSJ, "U.S., Afghan Forces Launch Major Offensive Against Islamic State," 8 June 2018
Dozens more, including four medics, were treated for gas inhalation, as Israeli forces showered the area with tear gas canisters from behind their fortifications in Israel.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Israeli forces kill 3 Gaza protesters, wound 400, medics say," 27 Apr. 2018
By Saturday evening, state media was reported that troops are approaching Army of Islam fortifications on the edge of the town adding that street battles could begin soon.

— bassem mroue, chicagotribune.com, "Some claim chemical attack as violence claims more lives in Syrian capital and suburbs," 8 Apr. 2018
Support players can now create fortifications, repair walls, and so on.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Battlefield V returns to WWII with no plans for a premium season pass," 23 May 2018
Pakistani security officials told NBC News that while Pakistan has 64 security fortifications and posts in one 112-mile stretch of the border, Afghanistan has built only eight.

— NBC News, "Pakistan is building a fence along border with Afghanistan," 17 May 2018
Archaeologist Tom Garrison tells Pappas of Live Science that the new maps also pointed experts toward a 30-foot fortification wall at a site called El Zotz.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Hidden Maya Structures in Guatemala," 5 Feb. 2018
However, in industrialized nations, with a plentiful and diverse food supply, as well as food fortification, mineral malabsorption from phytates is much less of a problem.

— katherine pett, SELF, "Why Are People Suddenly Saying That Whole Grains Are Bad for Your Gut?," 9 May 2018
Jackson and Liddell, as well as the fathers of the other public-school players, said the decision to repeat a grade was based more on academic fortification than athletic advancement.

— adam zuvanich, San Antonio Express-News, "Ahead of their class: Several area standouts repeated grade levels," 13 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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fortification Synonyms

Synonyms

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

bunker, dugout;

blockhouse, garrison house;

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