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.
Related Words
See patience.
Other Word Forms
- fortitudinous adjective
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.
Prussia’s fortitude was especially significant for Washington’s countrymen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Surrey, having copped the worst of the conditions early in the match, showed the fortitude and skill not to lose it.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
But it certainly makes him look cowardly that he can’t even muster the fortitude to say it in public, much less to his boss’s face.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
As an immigrant directly from Korea, Chang showed him the fortitude of structure amid her community.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
On the whole, Mrs. Johnson’s attitude toward her father was ambivalent, but one aspect of him she had always respected—his fortitude.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
