fortitude
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is fortitude? Fortitude is mental or emotional strength in facing something difficult, as in Lillie stayed sane on the deserted island thanks to her intense mental fortitude. Fortitude refers to mental or emotional strength rather than physical or bodily strength, as in During the pandemic, Kasha wrote poetry to maintain her mental fortitude. But you can use words like strength, power, and intensity as synonyms for fortitude if you are talking specifically about mental or emotional strength. The adjective form of fortitude is fortitudinous, as in The fortitudinous soldiers never even considered retreating. Example: You could never tell June was suffering from illness due to her amazing fortitude.
Synonym Usage
See patience.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fortitude
First recorded 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin fortitūdō “strength, firmness, courage,” equivalent to forti(s) “strong” + -tūdō noun suffix ( see -tude)
Explanation
Fortitude refers to strength in the face of adversity or difficulty. Eating fried worms might require a lot of intestinal fortitude. When someone has fortitude it means that they have emotional power or reserves and the ability to withstand adversity. People who have fortitude are described in an admiring way for their courage and this word comes from the Latin word fortitudo, meaning "strength." Jacueline Bisset, someone who knows about beauty, said, "Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful."
Vocabulary lists containing fortitude
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Grade 9, List 1
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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.
But an investor who is relying on the stock market to build wealth needs the psychological fortitude to keep putting money into the market, even during a downturn, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
I get the sense that mom passed her fortitude on to her daughters and son, and it seemed to me as though for them, getting back home would be at least partly about honoring her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Cubans take pride in facing hardship with resilience and ingenuity, but that fortitude comes at a high psychological cost amid the island's latest protracted crisis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Tehran doesn’t believe Washington has the fortitude for such a mission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Maybe my mother did see reality in all its shades and colours, and was simply using organized religion to cultivate qualities like patience, resiliency, fortitude, hope and optimism.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
