fortified

American  

[fawr-tuh-fahyd] / ˈfɔr təˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. protected or strengthened against attack; provided with defensive military works.

   Jim’s platoon was the reserve force for his company's coordinated assault on a heavily fortified hill.

2. given strength or vigor, as by food or drink.

   She rejoined her companions, toting snacks and goodies in her pack, and the newly fortified hikers continued on their way the next day.

3. Nutrition. having one or more ingredients added, as vitamins, minerals, etc., to increase nutritional value.

   The fortified flour helps reduce anemia and enhance micronutrient uptake.

4. (of wine or the like) having extra alcohol added.

   Marsala, a fortified wine sweetened with concentrated grape juice, comes from Sicily.

5. strengthened mentally or morally.

   From this new perspective, he looked upon the impossible task with fortified courage.

6. having ingredients, elements, or features added in order to increase effectiveness or withstand strain or wear.

   The new, fortified design standards aim at strengthening buildings and infrastructure against high winds, flooding, and fire.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fortify.

Other Word Forms

• unfortified
  adjective
• well-fortified
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fortified

fortify ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Fortified means strengthened or protected. When you've taken lots of vitamins, you should be fortified against getting sick! A fortified place is somewhere, like a military fort, where you are protected from danger, perhaps because you are high up on a hill or because your walls are built of iron. A fortified outfit would be a suit of armor. Fortified can also describe foods that have been supplied with added nutrients. Fortified milk might include added vitamin D, to ensure that you are getting your recommended supply.

Example Sentences

Fortified by wisdom and perspective, if not extra distance from my driver, I’m more eager to tee it up now than I’ve been in 20 years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Fortified cereals provide essential micronutrients, plant-based milks cater to those with dairy intolerances and some packaged breads offer whole grains that many people wouldn’t otherwise consume.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2025

"Large sheets of metal covered stained-glass windows. Fortified cages covered statues, and museums were boxing artifacts for storage."

From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2023

Fortified in Victorian times and again in World War Two, it is famous for its role in the invention of radio, as well as being home to unique lizards, flowers and birds.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2023

Fortified towns emerged in the third millennium B.C., with cemeteries whose great variation between unadorned and luxuriously furnished graves bespeaks emerging class differences.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• barricaded
• covered
• guarded
• protected
• reinforced
• secured
• strengthened
• walled