stalwart

adjective

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stal·wart | \ ˈstȯl-wərt

Definition of stalwart

(Entry 1 of 2)

: marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit stalwart common sense

stalwart

noun

Definition of stalwart (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a stalwart person

2 : an unwavering partisan

Other Words from stalwart Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about stalwart

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Choose the Right Synonym for stalwart

Adjective

strong, stout, sturdy, stalwart, tough, tenacious mean showing power to resist or to endure. strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources. strong arms the defense has a strong case stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way. stout hiking boots sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction. a sturdy table people of sturdy independence stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability. stalwart environmentalists tough implies great firmness and resiliency. a tough political opponent tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together. tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life

Did You Know?

Adjective

Sometime in the 15th century, English speakers began to use stalwart in place of the older form stalworth. Although stalworth is now archaic, it laid the groundwork for today's meaning of stalwart. In the 12th century, stalworth began to be used to describe strongly built people or animals (a meaning stalwart took on about two centuries later). It also came to be used as an adjective for people who showed bravery or courage (likewise a meaning passed on to stalwart). So, in a way, stalwart has been serviceable in keeping the spirit of stalworth alive. This character of stalwart is true to its roots. Stalworth came from the Old English word stælwierthe (meaning "serviceable"), which, in turn, is thought to come from terms meaning "foundation" and "worth."

Examples of stalwart in a Sentence

Adjective their strong and stalwart son the stalwart soldiers in the army of Alexander the Great, who willingly followed him to the ends of the known world

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But there is an inherent tension in Texas these days: Democrats control the White House and Senate, while Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are stalwart conservatives. — Tom Benning, Dallas News, "How judicial appointments in Texas will work — or not — under a Democratic president and two GOP senators," 15 Feb. 2021 After all, one of the goals of the rioters was to confront Vice President Mike Pence, who is undeniably a more stalwart conservative than Trump will ever be. — Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Garcia: Capitol riot culminated 12 years of Tea Party resentment," 7 Jan. 2021 As a center, Lieb has to body up against the stalwart Jamaican in practice. — Sam Brief, chicagotribune.com, "Deerfield’s Brandon Lieb making the most of playing for Illinois during COVID-19 pandemic; ‘It’s where I wanted to be’," 27 Dec. 2020 The de Havilland Beaver, that most stalwart airplane of the Canadian bush, is two years younger than me, born in Downsview, Ontario, on August 16, 1947. — Lionel Atwill, Field & Stream, "F&S Classics: One Tough Plane," 24 Dec. 2020 Even some of the stalwart vermouth artisans are realizing the power of the word aperitif. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Move over, Aperol spritz: Sunny, breezy California aperitifs are the chic Millennial's new drink of choice," 5 Feb. 2021 Ahead of the November U.S. elections, popular broadsheets like Apple Daily, whose influential founder Jimmy Lai is a stalwart Trump supporter, began publishing op-eds endorsing the president. — Washington Post, "Hong Kong democracy activists confront their Trump dilemma," 15 Jan. 2021 When Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, was picking a replacement for the retiring Senator Johnny Isakson in 2019, the president pressed for his stalwart impeachment defender, Representative Doug Collins. — New York Times, "Kelly Loeffler, a Wall Street Senator With a Hardscrabble Pitch," 21 Dec. 2020 In the 1970s, many stalwart newspapers and magazines, like Life, closed their doors, and journalists faced mass layoffs. — Robin Kaiser-schatzlein, The New Republic, "The Artist Isn’t Dead," 4 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But, as any local or loyal visitor can attest, the famed pink hotel is a beloved stalwart of the Florida town—and a nostalgic bastion of the kind of preppy beach style that made Palm Beach famous. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Palm Beach's Iconic Colony Hotel Gets a Fun, Fresh Redesign," 10 Feb. 2021 Minding the net Aside from Bishop’s familiarity as a stalwart for both franchises, production in the goal will be one of the central focuses in the series. — Callie Caplan, Dallas News, "5 things to know about the Tampa Bay Lightning: Stanley Cup experience, southern history vs. Stars and more," 18 Sep. 2020 Matheson, former chief of staff to Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, a conservative stalwart, was an adviser to Romney’s 2018 campaign. — David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, "Mitt Romney's plan to help cover child care costs hailed as 'wildly ambitious' and innovative," 5 Feb. 2021 The opinion by Chief Justice William Rehnquist was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas and another conservative stalwart, Justice Antonin Scalia. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Senate trial of former President Trump depends largely on 145-year-old case," 19 Jan. 2021 The collaboration-heavy album — one completed during the pandemic via email — sports R&B-stalwart guests Ty Dolla Sign, Mahalia, Daniel Caesar, T-Pain and Jessie Reyez. — Los Angeles Times, "Can Jacob Collier win album of the year? Lizzo, SZA and Grammy history say don’t bet against it," 8 Dec. 2020 Three of China’s four leading vaccine candidates use an unfashionable stalwart: the whole inactivated virus, an approach that dates back to the first successful flu vaccine in the 1930s. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "With global push for COVID-19 vaccines, China aims to win friends and cut deals," 25 Nov. 2020 Nothing epitomized Trump’s 2016 more vividly than his gains in another industrial stalwart, Lackawanna County, whose hub is Scranton. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "What the Democrats can learn from Biden’s narrow win in Pennsylvania," 7 Nov. 2020 The Blanc de Blancs is reliably one of my favorite wines from Schramsberg, the Napa Valley sparkling-wine stalwart whose winery barely evaded destruction in this year’s Glass Fire. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "7 festive California sparkling wines to celebrate making it through 2020," 23 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stalwart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.