stalwart

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adjective

stal·wart ˈstȯl-wərt

Synonyms of stalwart next

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

stalwart common sense

stalwartly adverb

stalwartness noun

stalwart

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noun

: a stalwart person

: an unwavering partisan

Did you know?

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. During the 12th century, forms of stalworth began to be used to describe strongly built people or animals (a meaning stalwart carries). 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 stǣlwierthe (meaning "serviceable"), which, in turn, is thought to come from terms meaning "foundation" and "worth."

Choose the Right Synonym for stalwart

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

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

Stewart knocks down 3s with ease and also plays stalwart defense. —

Ethan Fuller, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 Cuba, one of Russia's most stalwart allies, is publicly accusing Moscow of trying to bolster its war effort by conscripting Cuban men and forcing them to fight against their will in Ukraine, a top Cuban official said Tuesday. —

Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 As homeowners of Four Seasons’ Napa Valley Luxury Residences, the Fullers are stalwart advocates of the brand—and equally so, of Ferraris. —

Paul Jebara, Town & Country, 5 Sep. 2023 Here’s How to Get One The Cabin Masters' popularity has been a major boon for Manchester and the surrounding towns, which are located about an hour north of Portland and inland from the stalwart tourist destinations on Maine's famous coastline. —

Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2023 The Illini also must replace tailback Chase Brown, stalwart defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown and quarterback Tommy DeVito. —

Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2023 Two airlines pulled out over the years, Colgan Air in 2010 and Island Airlines in 2016, leaving longtime stalwart Cape Air and Jet Blue with seasonal flights to New York as the only scheduled service. —

Beth Treffeisen, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023 Vice Golf has been making quality balls at a lower price than the stalwart brands for a decade, and the Pro Plus versions are major upgrades for your pursuit of a lower index. —

Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023 The gritty 2017 movie captured viewers’ imagination with the final story of X-Men stalwart Wolverine, adopting the comic book miniseries Old Man Logan. —

Joe George, menshealth.com, 6 May 2023

Noun

The offense was one of the state’s top units, led by four-year stalwarts Dominic Craig and Mike Sawicki, who rank second and third on the program’s all-time scoring list. —

Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 The Cornyn Victory Fund has received donations from many states but a slew of Texas homebuilders, investment gurus and other business leaders have been stalwarts. —

Joseph Morton, Dallas News, 11 Sep. 2023 While hosts like Hayes and The Last Word’s Lawrence O’Donnell have been stalwarts of MSNBC’s primetime lineup (for 10 and 13 years, respectively), the channel has also tweaked its slate of hosts over the past year or so. —

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2023 Fans of the author regularly pilgrimage to Grant Park to visit statues of Cleary’s most famous literary characters, including the irrepressible Ramona, stalwart Henry Huggins and his faithful dog, Ribsy. —

oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2023 The Trojans bulked up by scooping former Oklahoma State stalwart Mason Cobb out of the transfer portal to push returning starters Shane Lee and Eric Gentry. —

Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023 Longtime Rhody stalwart Gray’s Ice Cream, at their original Tiverton Four Corners spot and a newer location in Bristol, offers homemade classics — pistachio, frozen pudding, chocolate walnut, mint chip — and the like. —

Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023 Two transfers and two long-time Auburn stalwarts were announced as team captains for the 2023 season, Auburn announced on Twitter on Tuesday night. —

Matt Cohen | McOhen@al.com, al, 30 Aug. 2023 Mack founded drink sum wtr, which shares services with the indie stalwart Secretly, last year. —

Elias Leight, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stalwart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.