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• fort
  fort

  noun

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

  abbreviation

  fortification.

fort

¹ American  

[fawrt, fohrt] / fɔrt, foʊrt /

noun

forts plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forts
  plural

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 Tejon earthquake of 1857 stopped at Cajon Pass and did not rupture the San Jacinto Fault.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026

We expected few people to be out and about when we headed to city landmark Red Fort in Old Delhi to meet street vendors.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

California families learned the Justice Department was pursuing their medical records only after NYU Langone Health disclosed it had received a criminal subpoena May 7 in Fort Worth, Texas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

Then he got in another brawl, was imprisoned in Fort St. Angelo, escaped, and was formally expelled by the Order—the recorded language is “like a rotten and fetid limb.”

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

He had gone to the one in charge of the Long Knives at Fort Laramie and complained.

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III