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:
His talents caught the eye of then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and in 1988 he was appointed mayor of China's economic powerhouse city Shanghai, where he developed a reputation as a stalwart supporter of market reform.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
An age, it bears adding, when X and Meta—Facebook and Instagram’s corporate owner—no longer emphasize stalwart moderation guardrails in the name of reducing “censorship” on their platforms.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Fleet was elected MP for Bolsover in July 2024, succeeding Labour stalwart Dennis Skinner.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mr. Bracey plays him as a stalwart and capable character, flawed but heroic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
She turned to Malcolm X’s stalwart assistant Benjamin X, known as a highly able speaker himself.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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 of late-night commercials of the late ’90s and pop culture touchstone “Miss Cleo” died Tuesday after a battle with colon cancer, her lawyer confirmed to the Associated Press.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
Stalwart closer Aroldis Chapman’s average fastball velocity was 97.2 mph in his first five appearances, the lowest of his career for a player who built his reputation on velocity.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2022
Stalwart conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck made it a full 10 years before deciding she'd had enough.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2021
He bowed on the same spot where Stalwart Shield had lain in death not long before.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
"They're alienating a hell of a lot of people who are athletics fans and potential stalwarts within the sport."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The latest chapter started when the early AI stalwarts began serving as the next kingmakers of the market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
With the exception of Brivik’s appearance, Bird took the stage solo, alternating between performing unreleased songs from an upcoming album and much-loved stalwarts from his 2005 breakout, “The Mysterious Production of Eggs.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Nvidia took the top spot in WSJ’s inaugural ranking of “Best Companies for the Future,” topping a list heavy on tech stalwarts as AI reshapes business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
That was the last thing Jon Snow would have wanted, but before he could object, the king said, “Where would you have me lead these stalwarts if not against the Dreadfort?”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
