Did you know?
Based on its spelling, you might think that redoubt shares its origin with words such as doubt and redoubtable, both of which come from the Latin verb dubitare, meaning "to be in doubt." But that's not the case. Redoubt actually comes to us (via the French word redoute and the Italian word ridotto) from a different Latin verb—reducere, meaning "to lead back," the same root that gives us reduce. How that b ended up in redoubt is a lingering question, but some etymologists have posited that the word might have been conflated with another redoubt—a now-archaic verb meaning "to regard with awe, dismay, or dread" which, unlike its twin, does indubitably come from dubitare.
Examples of redoubt in a Sentence
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
Lesson learned: the three tarantulas were the defensive redoubt that had repelled the roaches.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Despite the crucial role that the redoubts played in St. Augustine’s history, archaeologists have long struggled to pinpoint the exact location of the defenses.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
In our redoubt, lawfare is a catastrophe for the legitimacy of our judicial system and for the rule of law that undergirds a secure, prosperous, free society — no matter what party is the practitioner.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for redoubt
Cite this Entry
“Redoubt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redoubt. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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