fortress

[ fawr-tris ]

/ ˈfɔr trɪs /

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See synonyms for: fortress / fortresses on Thesaurus.com

noun

a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel.

any place of exceptional security; stronghold.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of fortress

1300–50; Middle English forteresse<Old French <Vulgar Latin *fortaricia (compare Medieval Latin fortalitia), equivalent to Latin fort(is) strong + -ar-, formative of uncertain meaning +-icia-ice

Words nearby fortress

Fort Pickens, Fort Pierce, Fort Polk, Fort Pulaski, FORTRAN, fortress, Fort Riley, Fort Rucker, Fort Sam Houston, Fort Sheridan, Fort Sill

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

How to use fortress in a sentence

Some lawmakers bristled at the idea that protecting the Capitol from rioters would require turning the Capitol into a partial fortress.
Acting Capitol Police chief apologizes to lawmakers for ‘failings’ that allowed Jan. 6 breach|Karoun Demirjian, Aaron Davis, Peter Hermann|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
It is unclear if such efforts are the work of individuals aiming to disrupt the inauguration, or merely curious passersby documenting the fortress that has sprung up across downtown.
QAnon adherents discussed posing as National Guard to try to infiltrate inauguration, according to FBI intelligence briefing|Carol D. Leonnig, Matt Zapotosky|January 19, 2021|Washington Post
The more quickly a fortress of immunity is built, the easier it is to thwart the virus as it hits blockade after blockade.
As Mutated Strains of COVID-19 Surface, Can the U.S. Overcome Its Vaccine Rollout Hurdles?|Alice Park|January 8, 2021|Time
The constant monitoring of common space is corrosive on its own terms because it breeds paranoia and gives our infrastructure the veneer of a fortress.
Lessons From the Year in Surveillance Tech Debacles|Jesse Marx|December 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego

The rebels defended themselves from within an improvised fortress but ultimately were no match for their captors’ army.
Jamaica’s Christmas Slave Uprising|Sean Braswell|December 23, 2020|Ozy
After all, we have constructed Fortress America at enormous cost.
A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat|Clive Irving|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each of us believes what we choose to believe, and facts have become bricks to shore up the fortress of our own biases.
The Facts About Ferguson Matter, Dammit|Doug McIntyre|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a ponderous labyrinth of bolts, locks, and steel doors, making it an almost impregnable fortress.
The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s|J. North Conway|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On my way back into town, I walked by the fortress of tents surrounding the harbor, readying for the yacht show.
No Movie Stars, No Red Carpet, But Off-Season Cannes Is Still Magic|Liza Foreman|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ancient Grande Mosque and Kasbah fortress line the main plaza square.
Morocco's Secret All-Blue City|Nina Strochlic|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The garrison of the town and fortress was nearly three thousand strong.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The governor of the fortress was provided with a safe residence in Egypt, and an annual pension of 75,000 piasters.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
While the fortress was undermining at home, they were not idle, who were preparing to storm it from abroad.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
At Stettin, during the armistice, he entered the fortress and tried to seduce the governor, an ex-Jacobin and erstwhile friend.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The enemy was confident that any attempt on the fortress must be preceded by the passage of the river by the whole French army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for fortress

fortress

/ (ˈfɔːtrɪs) /

noun

a large fort or fortified town

a place or source of refuge or support

verb

(tr) to protect with or as if with a fortress

Word Origin for fortress

C13: from Old French forteresse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, 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

fortress

Origin of fortress

Words nearby fortress

Words related to fortress

How to use fortress in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fortress

Word Origin for fortress