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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During that 20-year period, the British inherited Spanish forts and added a network of seven redoubts—long, earthen mounds—to beef up defenses. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025 Courtesy of Visit Malta Explore Valletta’s harbor, cathedral, and forts The European Union’s smallest capital, Valletta, does big movie-making business. AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025 Los Angeles is building toward the postseason and is trying to hold down the fort until James can return to the lineup. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Co-leader Chris Difford has apparently taken ill, although the less Squeeze-attentive parts of the audience may not have noticed, since primary lead singer Glenn Tilbrook is holding down the fort quite effectively. Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fort

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fort was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fort. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

fort

noun
ˈfō(ə)rt How to pronounce fort (audio)
ˈfȯ(ə)rt
1
: a strong or fortified place
2
: a permanent army post

More from Merriam-Webster on fort

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