Fortaleza

American

[fawr-tl-ey-zuh, fawr-tuh-le-zuh] / ˌfɔr tlˈeɪ zə, ˌfɔr təˈlɛ zə /

noun

a seaport in NE Brazil.

Fortaleza British

/ fortaˈleza /

noun

Also called: Ceará. a port in NE Brazil, capital of Ceará state. Pop: 3 261 000 (2005 est)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

In La Fortaleza, the couple's oldest daughter Frainellys, 11, is the pride of her family.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

This summer, Pafos pulled off the surprise signing of defender Luiz, who at the age of 38 had been playing for Fortaleza in Brazil, after initially leaving Arsenal for Flamengo in 2021.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2025

Santos has had a troubled week since its 2-1 home loss to Fortaleza on Wednesday, which led to its first relegation.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2023

One even decorated the cover of the telephone book in Fortaleza where the artist — known simply as Chico — lived and established a pioneering and controversial collective studio practice.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2023

Was he granted asylum by the embassy or was he caught and locked up in La Fortaleza as my premonitions keep telling me?

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023