fortitude
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is fortitude? Fortitude is mental or emotional strength in facing something difficult, as in Lillie stayed sane on the deserted island thanks to her intense mental fortitude. Fortitude refers to mental or emotional strength rather than physical or bodily strength, as in During the pandemic, Kasha wrote poetry to maintain her mental fortitude. But you can use words like strength, power, and intensity as synonyms for fortitude if you are talking specifically about mental or emotional strength. The adjective form of fortitude is fortitudinous, as in The fortitudinous soldiers never even considered retreating. Example: You could never tell June was suffering from illness due to her amazing fortitude.
Synonym Usage
See patience.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fortitude
First recorded 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin fortitūdō “strength, firmness, courage,” equivalent to forti(s) “strong” + -tūdō noun suffix ( see -tude)
Explanation
Fortitude refers to strength in the face of adversity or difficulty. Eating fried worms might require a lot of intestinal fortitude. When someone has fortitude it means that they have emotional power or reserves and the ability to withstand adversity. People who have fortitude are described in an admiring way for their courage and this word comes from the Latin word fortitudo, meaning "strength." Jacueline Bisset, someone who knows about beauty, said, "Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful."
Vocabulary lists containing fortitude
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Grade 9, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The shoot for the upcoming movie Operation Fortitude would have involved draping the building in flags bearing the swastika.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
Patience and Fortitude: These are the names of the stone lions that preside over the steps to the main New York Public Library.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2024
One of those deals, with reinsurer Fortitude Re, boosted Carlyle's fee-paying assets this year by $50 billion.
From Reuters • Aug. 12, 2022
Seven years ago, in line with their respect for and focus on American heroes, they started a program called Flags for Fortitude.
From Fox News • Dec. 28, 2021
There was Strife, and there Was Fortitude, and there was fierce Pursuit, And there the Gorgon’s head, a ghastly sight, Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe.”
From Myths of Greece and Rome Narrated with Special Reference to Literature and Art by Guerber, H. A. (H?l?ne Adeline)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
