Definition of FORTIFICATION

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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.

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 on the Web As many as 242 steps up and down, in fact, depending on the route visitors take to access the medieval cliff-top fortification on the rugged Cornwall coast. — Alexandra Pecci, chicagotribune.com, "In England, history gets more accessible," 25 Oct. 2019 The fortification dates back around the second century B.C. when ancient Greek influence in the region was strong. — Fox News, "Ancient 'New York' discovered in Israel as archaeologists uncover lost Bronze Age city," 7 Oct. 2019 Despite the #securitymechanism deal and following destruction of fortifications, US forces did not fulfill their responsibilities and began withdrawing from border, leaving the area to turn into a war zone. — CBS News, "U.S. pulling troops from northern Syria posts, leaving Kurdish allies to face Turkey," 7 Oct. 2019 Inside the fortifications, churches such as the 12th-century St. Tryphon Cathedral jostle for space alongside museums, restaurants and souvenir shops. — Erin E. Williams, chicagotribune.com, "Dubrovnik’s Dothraki-like hordes make Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor appealing," 11 Oct. 2019 Inside the fortifications, churches such as the 12th-century St. Tryphon Cathedral jostle for space alongside museums, restaurants and souvenir shops. — Washington Post, "Dubrovnik’s Dothraki-like hordes make Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor appealing," 9 Oct. 2019 The fortification dates back to the Hellenistic period when ancient Greek influence in the region was strong. — Fox News, "The Biblical town of Emmaus, which is linked to Jesus’ resurrection and the Ark of the Covenant, may have been found," 10 Sep. 2019 The Hellfire will be able to engage targets such as tanks, armored vehicles, and fortifications at ranges up to 5 miles, while the Small Diameter Bomb has a range of up to 40 miles. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Air Force's “Spooky” Gunships Have Flown Overseas for the Last Time," 11 July 2019 Fort Revere includes the remains of two seacoast fortifications and a burial ground for French soldiers who died fighting during the American Revolution. — Sarah Wu, BostonGlobe.com, "About 100 gather to protest racist graffiti found at Hull fort," 5 Sep. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

1 Dec 2019

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“Fortification.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortification. Accessed 13 December 2019.