forte
1a person's strong suit, or most highly developed characteristic, talent, or skill; something that one excels in: I don't know what her forte is, but it's not music.
the stronger part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt (opposed to foible).
Origin of forte
1pronunciation note For forte
popular references For forte
—FORTE: An acronym for Fast On-orbit Rapid Recording of Transient Events, FORTE is a lightweight satellite orbiting earth since August 1997. It is the first satellite made of an all-composite structure, and was designed to test new technologies for monitoring compliance with arms control treaties.
—Forte: A character in the 1997 animated film Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. The actor Tim Curry provided the voice for Forte, who is a pipe organ.
—Kia Forte: A compact car manufactured by Kia Motors since 2008 and marketed worldwide.
Other words for forte
Words that may be confused with forte
- fort, forte (see pronunciation note at the current entry)
Other definitions for forte (2 of 2)
(a direction in a musical score or part) loud; with force (opposed to piano).
(a direction in a musical score or part) loudly.
a passage that is loud and played with force or is marked to be so. Abbreviation: f
Origin of forte
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for forte (1 of 2)
/ (fɔːt, ˈfɔːteɪ) /
something at which a person excels; strong point: cooking is my forte
fencing the stronger section of a sword blade, between the hilt and the middle: Compare foible
Origin of forte
1British Dictionary definitions for forte (2 of 2)
/ (ˈfɔːtɪ) music /
loud or loudly: Symbol: f
a loud passage in music
Origin of forte
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for forte
[ (fawr-tay) ]
A musical direction meaning “to be performed loudly”; the opposite of piano.
Notes for forte
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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