fortitude
noun
Did you know?
Fortitude comes from the Latin word fortis, meaning “strong,” and in English it has always been used primarily to describe strength of mind. For a time, the word was also used to mean “physical strength”; William Shakespeare used it that way in Henry VI, Part 1: “Coward of France! How much he wrongs his fame / Despairing of his own arm's fortitude.” But despite use by the Bard of Avon, that meaning languished and is now considered obsolete. Even the familiar phrase “intestinal fortitude” is just a humorous way to refer to someone’s courage or mental stamina, not the literal strength of their digestive system. (If you’re looking to describe such a gastrointestinal tract, we might suggest “iron stomach.”)
Examples of fortitude in a Sentence
Nicholas Fox Weber, The Clarks Of Cooperstown, 2007
But now Frum, by having the fortitude to revisit that bizarre era, has half-persuaded me that the '70s, a partial negation of the '60s, in one way, were a partial confirmation of them in another.
—Christopher Hitchens, Civilization, April/May 2000
He learned that war was a hurly-burly of violence in which men prevailed through imagination and the fortitude to struggle on despite reverses.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
She has endured disappointments with fortitude and patience.
it was only with the greatest fortitude that the Pilgrims were able to survive their first winter in Plymouth
Chris Harris, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
What kind of fortitude, what kind of lack of temptation to over expand?
—EW.com, 26 May 2025
New York still had the mental fortitude to take an early lead in overtime, opening up a 4-point advantage with a little over three minutes to go.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 22 May 2025
And at the helm of this bastion of truth stands a man of vision, a man of class, of fortitude, secretary, doctor extravagant —Dr. Lonnie Bunch.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fortitude
Cite this Entry
“Fortitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortitude. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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fortitude
noun
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