fortress

noun

for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs How to pronounce fortress (audio)
Synonyms of fortressnext
: a fortified place : stronghold
especially : a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town
fortresslike
ˈfȯr-trəs-līk How to pronounce fortress (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of fortress in a Sentence

the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight
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.
There, visitors can find extensive ruins from the military town, including an amphitheater, aqueduct, fortress gates, and an inn. — Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 26 Feb. 2025 This fortress was constructed in 1361 by the Sienese and its many nearby side streets are worth taking the time to get lost in. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025 Indeed, the university is the fortress of freedom and must fulfill its historic role. — Brie Stimson, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2025 Don’t Miss: Climb the stairs to Doria Castle, a medieval fortress near the village of Vernazza, to see the remains of one of the oldest surviving towers on the Liguria coast. — Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fortress

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forteresse, from Anglo-French fortelesce, forteresse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis strong

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fortress was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

FORTRAN
fortress
fort royal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fortress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortress. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

fortress

noun
for·​tress ˈfȯr-trəs How to pronounce fortress (audio)
: a fortified place

More from Merriam-Webster on fortress

Nglish: Translation of fortress for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fortress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All