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 of fort

• 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

The Holy Presentation Church, which was built in 1725 within a fort near Zaporizhzhia and transported to its current location at Beryslav in 1784, is said to be the last surviving example of wooden Cossack architecture in the country. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026

Kat and Aesha take the guests swimming in some nearby caves while the rest of the crew holds down the fort. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026

The tour, led by Bruce Racond of Revolutionary Tours, promised to take curious attendees to sites rarely seen above 100th Street, from cascading waterfalls to Revolutionary forts. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Better yet, the chairs tuck neatly beneath the table when playtime is over, freeing up valuable floor space when a blanket fort is suddenly requested. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026

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