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
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Belief is a cornerstone of the Williams family and the eldest son, as a result, developed mental fortitude early.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Few people had the fortitude to wade through the soul-crushing five pages of details.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2025
Stymied by exhaustion, hailstorms, rope burns, mental fortitude, and sometimes one single move, Harrington persists through four attempts on the route in 2019 and 2020.
—Sam MacIlwaine, Outside Online, 29 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 9 Jul. 2025.
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fortitude
noun
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