fortification

noun

for·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌfȯr-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: an act or process of fortifying

2

: something that fortifies, defends, or strengthens

especially : works erected to defend a place or position

Did you know?

In the Middle Ages, many European cities were entirely enclosed by sturdy walls, with walkways along the top and towers at intervals, designed to make an invasion impossible. A water-filled ditch, or moat, might run alongside the wall for added defense. Such defenses turned the entire city into a fort, or fortress. Over the centuries, fortifications changed steadily with the development of new weaponry. In World War II, the German fortification of the French coast included antitank barriers, bunkers, minefields, and underwater obstacles, but it wasn't enough to turn back the immense force of the Allied invasion on D-day.

Synonyms

• bastion
• castle
• citadel
• fastness
• fort
• fortress
• hold
• redoubt
• stronghold

Examples of fortification in a Sentence

They began the fortification and reconstruction of the city.

defenders at the border fortifications preparing for an attack

Recent Examples on the Web

Aerial views from the drone revealed a roughly 1-kilometer-long fortification wall snaking around the fortress that wasn’t immediately visible to the naked eye. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2025

The government accomplished this by a mass increase in army personnel and a fortification program, funded by raising taxes and expanding the bureaucracy to support the larger state apparatus. —Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024

This type of anti-tank fortification has littered Ukraine. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Russia’s recent rapid advance points to another Ukrainian weakness, military experts say: a lack of fortifications. —Constant Méheut, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fortification

noun

for·​ti·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌfȯrt-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of fortifying

2

: a construction built for defense