stalwart
adjective
strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
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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
-
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
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.
Swinney's re-appointment caps a remarkable turnaround for the SNP stalwart.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
While the stalwart centre-back is sweating over his fitness, his former Hibs team-mate Kieron Bowie is celebrating yet another goal in Serie A.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
On Wednesday, kitchen and laundry stalwart Whirlpool suspended its $90-cents-a-share quarterly dividend, after reporting a difficult quarter thanks to what executives called a recession-level industry decline.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
The show’s U.K. spinoff was just renewed for a second season, and the sketch-comedy stalwart continues to be relevant with younger audiences as its clips go viral online.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
The absentminded, fluff-haired little clergyman and his stalwart wife drifted into her memory.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
