fortress

noun

for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs 

: a fortified place : stronghold

especially : a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town

fortresslike

ˈfȯr-trəs-līk 

adjective

Synonyms of fortress

• stronghold
• citadel
• fortification
• castle
• bastion
• fort

Examples of fortress in a Sentence

the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight

Recent Examples on the Web

Now an Oda envoy and renowned strategist named Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda) has come to Murashige’s fortress to convince him that resistance is futile. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Someone or something keeps trying to break into the fortress-like building and find something. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026

The Israeli military also published footage appearing to show its troops at Beaufort Castle, a strategic hilltop fortress, during an advance through villages in southern Lebanon. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 27 July 2026

This ancient city traces its roots back centuries as a formidable fortress retreat. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forteresse, from Anglo-French fortelesce, forteresse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis strong

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fortress

noun

for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs 

: a fortified place