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.
a physically stalwart person.
a steadfast or uncompromising partisan.
They counted on the party stalwarts for support in the off-year campaigns.
strong and sturdy; robust
solid, dependable, and courageous
stalwart citizens
resolute and firm
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English (Scots), variant of stalward, earlier stalwurthe; see stalworth
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Laurie Metcalf, confirming her standing as the First Lady of the American Theater, won for her portrayal of Linda Loman, a more formidable than usual interpretation of Willy’s stalwart wife.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
A rousing costume extravaganza from B-picture stalwart Eagle-Lion Films, “Adventures” is set in 18th century Sicily fighting for its freedom from the Austrian Empire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 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
The scuttling of too many legs, combined with the spider’s habit of suddenly vanishing from sight, give even the most stalwart observer a case of the shivers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
I spilled my sadness to Horatio, and it surged like waves against a stalwart dam.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
