stalwart
adjective
strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
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stalwart
1 American
[stawl-wert]
/ ˈstɔl wərt /
adjective
-
strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
-
strong and brave; valiant.
a stalwart knight.
-
firm, steadfast, or uncompromising.
a stalwart supporter of the U.N.
noun
-
stalwarts
plural
-
a physically stalwart person.
-
a steadfast or uncompromising partisan.
They counted on the party stalwarts for support in the off-year campaigns.
Stalwart
2
American
[stawl-wert]
/ ˈstɔl wərt /
noun
stalwart
British
/ ˈstɔːlwət /
adjective
-
strong and sturdy; robust
-
solid, dependable, and courageous
stalwart citizens
-
resolute and firm
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stalwart
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English (Scots), variant of stalward, earlier stalwurthe; see stalworth
Explanation
To be stalwart is to be courageous and dependable, like a stalwart knight who defends a kingdom from a ferocious dragon. Stalwart can describe someone who's able to keep on going even when things get hard, like a marathon runner who doesn't slow down even after spraining an ankle, or a supporter of a political cause that everyone else has long declared over. In U.S. history, the word stalwart was used in 1877 to describe Republicans who remained unwilling to trust the South, even though the Civil War was long over by that time.
Vocabulary lists containing stalwart
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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.
See Examples For:
Kumuls stalwart Lachlan Lam - forced to miss this World Cup because he needs wrist surgery - likened the atmosphere to "a proper scream".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The pharmacy and retailer is a stalwart of Britain's high streets, where it has served generations of customers for decades.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Jesse Watters, a stalwart of the network’s macho posturing, has spent weeks gushing over El-Sayed with an almost comical bewilderment.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the stalwart of the rotation, certainly has performed to the level of a Game 1 starter, both this season and in a heroic World Series run last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
One full page was a photograph of me; the opposite full page was a beautiful color illustration of a black royal Nigerian Muslim, stalwart and handsome, of hundreds of years ago.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Appeared in the September 30, 2026, print edition as 'Clarence Thomas, Stalwart for the Constitution'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Stalwart bookstores Vroman’s in Pasadena and Book Soup in West Hollywood announced new ownership on Thursday, after a two-year search for a buyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Stalwart Spokane product Armani Marsh accepted an extra year of eligibility and Armauni Archie will return from a season-ending injury.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2022
Stalwart catcher Buster Posey, for example, turned in one of his best offensive seasons at 34.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2021
Her freedmen were represented by the captains of the three companies she had formed—Mollono Yos Dob of the Stalwart Shields, Symon Stripeback of the Free Brothers, Marselen! the Mother’s Men.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
But there are stalwarts who have spent more than a decade obsessing over it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
However, some stalwarts of the AI-safety community known as doomers have spent more than a decade obsessing over this exact apocalyptic risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The latest chapter started when the early AI stalwarts began serving as the next kingmakers of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
The archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of just under 525,000 according to the latest figures from the World Bank, have now held their own against two World Cup stalwarts.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
But even though Mariela has been one of his stalwarts, she seems disengaged and in no shape to rise to the occasion and win a part.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
