fortress
Americannoun
-
a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel.
-
any place of exceptional security; stronghold.
noun
-
a large fort or fortified town
-
a place or source of refuge or support
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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
Explanation
A fortress is a large building or complex of buildings used as a military stronghold. In a military sense, a fortress is often called a “fort." From its original sense of stronghold, the word fortress has stretched to include strongholds in a more figurative sense. Martin Luther used fortress to describe unfailing spiritual support when he wrote, “A mighty fortress is our God.” When someone has a hard time trusting others, you might say they have retreated to a "fortress of their own making."
Vocabulary lists containing fortress
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Held each year on 14 July, the national holiday marks the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789, a key event from the French Revolution.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I wanted to see what the mystery was about," said Nick Frey, a 28-year-old US tourist admiring the fortress.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
“Beaufort” comes from the Old French of “beau fort” or “bel fort” for beautiful fortress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Ali Salame, from Kfar Remen in Nabatiyeh district near the castle, said the seizure of the fortress brought back bad memories of long Israeli occupations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
But it reminded her of the fortress in Jack’s sketchbook, of the place where no one could ever find him.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
French taxes paid for the powerful artillery that breached English-held fortresses and mowed down England’s last expeditionary force, at Castillon, Gascony, in July 1453.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Two medieval fortresses face each other across the Narva River, separating Estonia from Russia on Europe's eastern edge.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
To love a Scorpio, then, is to fiercely protect their softness with the same shadowy ardor that they use to construct their inner adamantine fortresses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2024
Priests carried tabots into one of the fortresses in Gondar, where they will be kept until the end of the festivities.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2024
Our ancestors and those who were considered wise used to say that it was necessary to hold Pistoia by factions and Pisa by fortresses.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
