1
: a strong or fortified place
especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification
2
: a permanent army post
often used in place names

Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle. a series of forts along the frontier
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At even strength, the Canucks held the fort down defensively without Hughes. Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024 The star’s family and A-list friends have been fixtures at her Eras Tour shows since the beginning, with mom Andrea, dad Scott and brother Austin mingling with fans and holding down the fort in the VIP tent. Rachel Desantis, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024 There’s the eponymous fort, the eponymous pencil (they weren’t made there, but that’s where the graphite used to come from), and there’s the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour, which draws Trekkies from all over the galaxy. Eben Weiss, Outside Online, 22 Nov. 2024 In August 1855, Harney and his men, equipped with new, long-range Sharps rifles, set out from a frontier fort. Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fort 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fort was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fort

Cite this Entry

“Fort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fort. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fort

noun
ˈfō(ə)rt How to pronounce fort (audio)
ˈfȯ(ə)rt
1
: a strong or fortified place
2
: a permanent army post

More from Merriam-Webster on fort

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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