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• fort
  fort

  noun

  a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.
• fort.
  fort.

  abbreviation

  fortification.

fort

¹ American  

[fawrt, fohrt] / fɔrt, foʊrt /

noun

1. a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.

2. any permanent army post.

3. (formerly) a trading post.

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idioms

1. hold the fort,

   1. to defend one's position against attack or criticism.

   2. to maintain the existing state of affairs.

fort. ² American  

abbreviation

1. fortification.

2. fortified.

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fort British  

/ fɔːt /

noun

1. a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy

2. informal to maintain or guard something temporarily

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fort More Idioms  

1. see hold the fort.

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Etymology

Origin of fort

First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French, noun use of adjective fort “strong,” from Latin fortis “strong, tough, hardy”

Explanation

A fort is a place that's made strong and secure enough to be defended during a war. Although it’s usually a military word, you can also make a fort with chairs and a blanket to defend against annoying little siblings. A fort can also be called a fortress or a fortification, although typically a fortress describes a larger structure or a series of structures, while a fort is usually only one. All of these words come from the Latin word fortis for "strong, mighty, or brave.” Traditionally, forts have been strongly defended, with thick stone walls and other elements protecting them from invaders. Today in the US, some forts are simply military bases. Others are simply in the living room.

Example Sentences

JetBlue also announced 11 new flights out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, where Spirit previously had a large presence.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

As Spirit Flight 1833 from Detroit approached Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after midnight, its pilot asked air-traffic control if any other Spirit flights were coming in.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

And around the corner, by the Fort Point Channel and near the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, sits rival Wellington.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

He was eventually found and arrested following a joint operation of the Texas attorney general's Fugitive Task Force and the Fort Worth Police Department.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Two months later, it met an inglorious end when, during the Battle of Fort Lee, the American ship that was transporting it was sunk by the British.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler