rampart

noun

ram·​part ˈram-ˌpärt 

-pərt

1

: a protective barrier : bulwark

2

: a broad embankment raised as a fortification and usually surmounted by a parapet

3

: a wall-like ridge (as of rock fragments, earth, or debris)

Examples of rampart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Visitors flooded in to walk the ramparts, reenact scenes, and snap selfies. —Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 7 May 2025

But now, with the NCAA having mostly abandoned those ramparts of the debate, these same athletes became an inconvenience to resolving three antitrust cases that have threatened the future of its commercial enterprise. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019

Perhaps halfway up to the crest which forms the ramparts of the Mule Shoe was a jutting bastion of orange-colored rock. —Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025

The 18th-century ramparts encircling the city are free to climb and boast dramatic ocean views. —Livia Hengel, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from ramparer to fortify, from re- + emparer to defend, from Old Occitan emparar, from Vulgar Latin *imparare, from Latin in- in- entry 2 + parare to prepare — more at pare

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rampart

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart
• art

Kids Definition

rampart

noun

ram·​part ˈram-ˌpärt 

-pərt

: a broad bank or wall raised as a protective barrier

also : any barrier that provides protection