forte

[ fawrt, fohrt or, for 1, fawr-tey ]

/ fɔrt, foʊrt or, for 1, ˈfɔr teɪ /

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See synonyms for: forte / forter / fortest on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person's strong suit, or most highly developed characteristic, talent, or skill; something that one excels in: I don't know what her forte is, but it's not music.

the stronger part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt (opposed to foible).

OTHER WORDS FOR forte

1 talent, skill, excellence, strength, strong suit, specialty, proficiency; knack, bent.

See synonyms for forte on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of forte

First recorded in 1640–50; earlier fort, from Middle French noun use of adjective fort “strong, powerful”; see origin at fort; disyllabic pronunciation by association with forte²

how to pronounce forte

In the sense of a person's strong suit ( He draws well, but sculpture is his real forte ), the older and historical pronunciation of forte is the one-syllable

[fawrt] /fɔrt/ or

[fohrt], /foʊrt/, pronounced as the English word fort. The word is derived from the French word fort, meaning “strong.” A two-syllable pronunciation

[fawr-tey] /ˈfɔr teɪ/ is increasingly heard, especially from younger educated speakers, perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, pronounced in English as

[fawr-tey] /ˈfɔr teɪ/ and in Italian as

[fawr-te]. /ˈfɔr tɛ/. Both the one- and two-syllable pronunciations of forte are now considered standard.

popular references for forte

—FORTE: An acronym for Fast On-orbit Rapid Recording of Transient Events, FORTE is a lightweight satellite orbiting earth since August 1997. It is the first satellite made of an all-composite structure, and was designed to test new technologies for monitoring compliance with arms control treaties.
—Forte: A character in the 1997 animated film Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. The actor Tim Curry provided the voice for Forte, who is a pipe organ.
—Kia Forte: A compact car manufactured by Kia Motors since 2008 and marketed worldwide.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH forte

fort, forte (see pronunciation note at the current entry)

Words nearby forte

Fort Dix, Fort Dodge, Fort Donelson, Fort Drum, Fort Duquesne, forte, fortepiano, Fort Erie, Fort Eustis, Fort George G. Meade, Fort Gordon

Other definitions for forte (2 of 2)

forte²

[ fawr-tey; Italian fawr-te ]

/ ˈfɔr teɪ; Italian ˈfɔr tɛ /

Music.

adjective

(a direction in a musical score or part) loud; with force (opposed to piano).

adverb

(a direction in a musical score or part) loudly.

noun

a passage that is loud and played with force or is marked to be so. Abbreviation: f

Origin of forte

1715–25; <Italian <Latin fortis strong

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use forte in a sentence

But, taken together with her Netflix teen hit Never Have I Ever, College Girls suggests that coming-of-age stories might be her forte.
If You Like Sex Education, You’ll Love Mindy Kaling’s The Sex Lives of College Girls|Judy Berman|November 18, 2021|Time
Problem-solving has always been our forte, but we have to be even more creative now as data is taken away, more of our processes are being automated, and we have to expand beyond our own siloes to get things done.
9 ways to level up your search marketing career|Carolyn Lyden|November 9, 2021|Search Engine Land
Some people like socializing online, but in-person is my forte.
What happened to America’s teens when coronavirus disrupted high school?|Moriah Balingit|October 28, 2021|Washington Post
While he may not fall into a particular comic style, his forte is targeting politicians vis-à-vis pranks, sketches, skits and other forms of comedy.
18 Comics of Tomorrow|Sohini Das Gupta|August 1, 2021|Ozy

Large quantities aren’t this model’s forte, but it can froth single drinks in a hurry.
Best milk frother for delicious drinks at home|Billy Cadden|July 29, 2021|Popular-Science
The next morning, guests boarded private jets to Florence for the ceremony at the Forte di Belvedere, rented for a cool $400,000.
Which of Kim Kardashian’s Weddings Was More Ridiculous?|Kevin Fallon|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mumford Sons, “Hopeless Wanderer” That one time Jason Bateman, Ed Helms, Will Forte, and Jason Sudeikis had a jam session.
Andrew Garfield in ‘We Exist’ and More Celebrities in Music Videos|Marina Watts|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The latest luxury hotel group to cave was Rocco Forte Hotels, which announced last month that in-room Wi-Fi is now free.
14 Travel Predictions for 2014|Condé Nast Traveler|December 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If fashion is more your forte, there are even pieces of haute couture and sportswear in the show.
The World's Most Tech-Savvy Art|Justin Jones|October 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then, he engages in a full-on make-out session with his former SNL compadre Will Forte, sporting a bushy beard.
Mumford & Sons’ Hilarious Parody Video, Featuring Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, and More|Victoria Kezra|August 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
An ear accustomed to the fine tone of a good violin will not now tolerate a bad piano-forte.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
Et depuis ils allerent cotoyans la terre, en forte que le 21.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
She was even allowed, through her friends, to procure a piano-forte, which afforded her many hours of recreation.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
This is his great forte, and to hear him speak, sends a thrill through the whole system, and a tremor through the brain.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
Mr. Conner taught the piano forte in the best families in the city of Philadelphia—among merchants, bankers, and professional men.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany

British Dictionary definitions for forte (1 of 2)

forte¹

/ (fɔːt, ˈfɔːteɪ) /

noun

something at which a person excels; strong pointcooking is my forte

fencing the stronger section of a sword blade, between the hilt and the middleCompare foible

Word Origin for forte

C17: from French fort, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis

British Dictionary definitions for forte (2 of 2)

forte²

/ (ˈfɔːtɪ) music /

adjective, adverb

loud or loudlySymbol: f

noun

a loud passage in music

Word Origin for forte

C18: from Italian, from Latin fortis strong

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

Cultural definitions for forte

forte

[ (fawr-tay) ]

A musical direction meaning “to be performed loudly”; the opposite of piano.

notes for forte

The common keyboard instrument the pianoforte (“piano” for short) got its name because it could play both soft and loud notes.

forte

OTHER WORDS FOR forte

Origin of forte

how to pronounce forte

popular references for forte

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH forte

Words nearby forte

Other definitions for forte (2 of 2)

Origin of forte

Words related to forte

How to use forte in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for forte (1 of 2)

Word Origin for forte

British Dictionary definitions for forte (2 of 2)

Word Origin for forte

Cultural definitions for forte

notes for forte