fort

¹ American  

[fawrt, fohrt] / fɔrt, foʊrt /

noun

1. a strong or fortified place occupied by troops and usually surrounded by walls, ditches, and other defensive works; a fortress; fortification.

2. any permanent army post.

3. (formerly) a trading post.

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idioms

1. hold the fort,

   1. to defend one's position against attack or criticism.

   2. to maintain the existing state of affairs.

fort. ² American  

abbreviation

1. fortification.

2. fortified.

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fort British  

/ fɔːt /

noun

1. a fortified enclosure, building, or position able to be defended against an enemy

2. informal to maintain or guard something temporarily

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fort More Idioms  

1. see hold the fort.

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Etymology

Origin of fort

First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French, noun use of adjective fort “strong,” from Latin fortis “strong, tough, hardy”

Explanation

A fort is a place that's made strong and secure enough to be defended during a war. Although it’s usually a military word, you can also make a fort with chairs and a blanket to defend against annoying little siblings. A fort can also be called a fortress or a fortification, although typically a fortress describes a larger structure or a series of structures, while a fort is usually only one. All of these words come from the Latin word fortis for "strong, mighty, or brave.” Traditionally, forts have been strongly defended, with thick stone walls and other elements protecting them from invaders. Today in the US, some forts are simply military bases. Others are simply in the living room.

Example Sentences

The fort immediately surrendered, the night’s darkness having “proved to be the attackers’ greatest ally, because it heightened the royalists’ fear of the unknown.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Two years before System de Min was incorporated, Dover Citadel Ltd bought the town's 250-year-old Napoleonic fort from the Ministry of Defence for £1.8m.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Despite those staggering volumes, Ukraine holds the fort.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

“Nvidia is the power-hungry, dirty solution holding the fort until the competition comes in with a completely different approach,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

We don’t go far from the fort to dig the graves.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone