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.
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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:
Fleet was elected MP for Bolsover in July 2024, succeeding Labour stalwart Dennis Skinner.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Andy Burnham pledged to "bring back hope" to Britain, as he began his tenure as prime minister by appointing Labour stalwart John Healey as chancellor.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
American Jews have traditionally been among the party’s most stalwart supporters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Shot quickly by stalwart director Jeff Tremaine this spring, half of it is a clip reel of past hits, like the time fan favorite Steve-O slingshotted into the sky in a port-a-potty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
He looked desperately sad and broken; even his stalwart manhood seemed to have shrunk somewhat under the strain of his much-tried emotions.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Stalwart Seamus Coleman's second-half winner sent the home supporters into raptures, backing up their performance and win over Arsenal from two weeks ago.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2023
Stalwart of late-night commercials of the late ’90s and pop culture touchstone “Miss Cleo” died Tuesday after a battle with colon cancer, her lawyer confirmed to the Associated Press.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
Stalwart garden writer Sydney Eddison, for instance, used to paint her furniture annually to match a theme picked from a painting.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 2022
Stalwart catcher Buster Posey, for example, turned in one of his best offensive seasons at 34.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2021
“Is it known how many attackers fell upon Stalwart Shield?”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
There has been turnover at Arsenal this summer, with club stalwarts Beth Mead and Katie McCabe leaving for title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, and seven new signings already brought in.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Trump was also active in the stock market, and his biggest holdings in the year included large-cap stalwarts such as Amazon, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
The latest chapter started when the early AI stalwarts began serving as the next kingmakers of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
With the exception of Brivik’s appearance, Bird took the stage solo, alternating between performing unreleased songs from an upcoming album and much-loved stalwarts from his 2005 breakout, “The Mysterious Production of Eggs.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
That was the last thing Jon Snow would have wanted, but before he could object, the king said, “Where would you have me lead these stalwarts if not against the Dreadfort?”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
