stalwart
adjective
strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
stalwart
1 American
[stawl-wert]
/ ˈstɔl wərt /
adjective
-
strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
-
strong and brave; valiant.
a stalwart knight.
-
firm, steadfast, or uncompromising.
a stalwart supporter of the U.N.
noun
-
stalwarts
plural
-
a physically stalwart person.
-
a steadfast or uncompromising partisan.
They counted on the party stalwarts for support in the off-year campaigns.
Stalwart
2
American
[stawl-wert]
/ ˈstɔl wərt /
noun
stalwart
British
/ ˈstɔːlwət /
adjective
-
strong and sturdy; robust
-
solid, dependable, and courageous
stalwart citizens
-
resolute and firm
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stalwart
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English (Scots), variant of stalward, earlier stalwurthe; see stalworth
Explanation
To be stalwart is to be courageous and dependable, like a stalwart knight who defends a kingdom from a ferocious dragon. Stalwart can describe someone who's able to keep on going even when things get hard, like a marathon runner who doesn't slow down even after spraining an ankle, or a supporter of a political cause that everyone else has long declared over. In U.S. history, the word stalwart was used in 1877 to describe Republicans who remained unwilling to trust the South, even though the Civil War was long over by that time.
Vocabulary lists containing stalwart
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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.
See Examples For:
One story for Wakefield to thrive upon is the impending retirement of stalwart back-rower Jay Pitts.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the stalwart of the rotation, certainly has performed to the level of a Game 1 starter, both this season and in a heroic World Series run last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Cornyn, the longtime incumbent, is a fundraising juggernaut and party stalwart who had never lost an election.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
With its luxury models gone, Tesla’s grip on the U.S. market owes almost entirely to its stalwart Model Y SUV.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Goldman was from Queens, a streetwise, muscled Air Force veteran in his forties, and I considered him a stalwart.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Appeared in the September 30, 2026, print edition as 'Clarence Thomas, Stalwart for the Constitution'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Stalwart bookstores Vroman’s in Pasadena and Book Soup in West Hollywood announced new ownership on Thursday, after a two-year search for a buyer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Stalwart Seamus Coleman's second-half winner sent the home supporters into raptures, backing up their performance and win over Arsenal from two weeks ago.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2023
Stalwart defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for the rest of the playoffs.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2022
The Stalwart Shields had chosen a new commander, a black-skinned Summer Islander called Tal Toraq, their old captain, Mollono Yos Dob, having been carried offby the pale mare.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
But there are stalwarts who have spent more than a decade obsessing over it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
However, some stalwarts of the AI-safety community known as doomers have spent more than a decade obsessing over this exact apocalyptic risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The presence of so many stalwarts largely squeezes out fresh talent, but the mysterious Irish newcomer Dove Ellis stands out as a potential winner, for the otherworldly beauty of his debut album, Blizzard.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The latest chapter started when the early AI stalwarts began serving as the next kingmakers of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
But even though Mariela has been one of his stalwarts, she seems disengaged and in no shape to rise to the occasion and win a part.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
