fort

noun

ˈfȯrt 

1

: a strong or fortified place

especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification

2

: a permanent army post

—often used in place names

Synonyms

• fortress
• stronghold
• fortification
• citadel
• castle
• bastion

Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle.

a series of forts along the frontier

Recent Examples on the Web

Locations this year include a sacred mountain in Malawi; petroglyphs in South Korea; remains of a port and forts from 17th century Port Royal, Jamaica; a king's palaces in Germany; and a river canyon in Brazil noted for its biodiversity. —James Doubek, NPR, 18 July 2025

Initially, the forts consisted of seven towers connected by steel walkways; now there are fewer of them, and the walkways are no longer safe. —Celia Fernandez, CNBC, 13 July 2025

Today, Hadrian’s Wall spans 73 miles and teaches archaeologists and historians about the daily lives of soldiers, forts and trade centers of Roman-era Britain. —Irene Wright july 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2025

The incumbents protect the fort until the fort is worthless (cliche cf. —Forrester, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fort

• hold down the fort
• hold the fort

Rhymes for fort

• bort
• corte
• court
• dort
• mort
• norte
• ort
• port
• porte
• quart
• short
• snort

Kids Definition

fort

noun

ˈfō(ə)rt 

ˈfȯ(ə)rt

1

: a strong or fortified place

2

: a permanent army post