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

Established in 1855 as a military post to fight against the Mescalero Apache, the fort went on to play a minor role in the Civil War and later served as a tuberculosis sanitorium and a World War II internment camp. — Allison Savage Bates, Denver Post, 19 July 2026

The old site was fort-like, recalling dark chapters in Native American history. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Mired in the thick of the Argentine needle in the first half, Anderson did nothing silly and held the midfield fort well until England tactically surrendered that area of the pitch. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Increasing Spanish costs for defense, such as building forts and training militia, led to higher taxes and strained local economies. — Lindsay Schakenbach Regele, The Conversation, 13 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