Showing results for "fortified"

• past participle of fortify.
• past tense form of fortify.

fortified

American  

[fawr-tuh-fahyd] / ˈfɔr təˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. protected or strengthened against attack; provided with defensive military works.

   Jim’s platoon was the reserve force for his company's coordinated assault on a heavily fortified hill.

2. given strength or vigor, as by food or drink.

   She rejoined her companions, toting snacks and goodies in her pack, and the newly fortified hikers continued on their way the next day.

3. Nutrition. having one or more ingredients added, as vitamins, minerals, etc., to increase nutritional value.

   The fortified flour helps reduce anemia and enhance micronutrient uptake.

4. (of wine or the like) having extra alcohol added.

   Marsala, a fortified wine sweetened with concentrated grape juice, comes from Sicily.

5. strengthened mentally or morally.

   From this new perspective, he looked upon the impossible task with fortified courage.

6. having ingredients, elements, or features added in order to increase effectiveness or withstand strain or wear.

   The new, fortified design standards aim at strengthening buildings and infrastructure against high winds, flooding, and fire.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fortify.

Other Word Forms

• unfortified
  adjective
• well-fortified
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fortified

fortify ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Fortified means strengthened or protected. When you've taken lots of vitamins, you should be fortified against getting sick! A fortified place is somewhere, like a military fort, where you are protected from danger, perhaps because you are high up on a hill or because your walls are built of iron. A fortified outfit would be a suit of armor. Fortified can also describe foods that have been supplied with added nutrients. Fortified milk might include added vitamin D, to ensure that you are getting your recommended supply.

Example Sentences

In 1944 the British Royal Air Force targeted the palace directly while the boy king sheltered in a fortified bunker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

Meanwhile Myanmar's loosely governed borderlands have become a hotbed for online scam centres often operating out of fortified compounds guarded by militants.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

A light aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest building Friday, sparking questions about how it could have flown into the heart of the heavily fortified Chinese capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

“To Whom This May Concern” is Jill Scott’s way of reminding her listeners of that, fortified with the spirits and songs of Black artists who came before her.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

Horan’s team was sent to one of the new fortified villages north of Saigon, reached by a narrow, pothole-filled dirt road, barely passable in their open jeep.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• barricaded
• covered
• guarded
• protected
• reinforced
• secured
• strengthened
• walled