Have you come across the word “fortitude” for the first time, or you’ve previously heard about it but never concentrated on what it’s all about? Well, there are multiple English words you’ll encounter every day, and “fortitude” is one of those admirable words you cannot ignore. That said, fortitude definition, meaning, and application come in handy.
Fortitude is the strength of mind or character that allows someone to face difficulty or danger with courage. It can be put into practice in your life by summoning up courage when things get tough. With fortitude, you can stay focused on your goals and persist through any challenge that comes out.
What will you do today to show fortitude today? As you think about that, let’s dive straight into a detailed explanation of fortitude’s meaning. We’ll also couple it up with many examples to ensure by the end of this article, you can construct the best “fortitude sentences” and pronounce the word correctly. Keep it here!
What Is the Definition of Fortitude?
The first definition of “fortitude” is the courage to bear pain and misfortune. When you don’t allow fear to set in during a painful situation but choose to take an act of courage, you’re showing fortitude.
It can be equated to a state of fearlessness. A good example is when a patient endures chemotherapy or takes medicine for an illness. Regardless of how they feel about the painful process and what might happen after the chemotherapy, the patient is courageous enough to take chances to restore their health.
Fortitude is also defined as the strength to face unpleasant and difficult situations with courage. For instance, soldiers show fortitude when they stand up against an enemy or dedicate their time for mandatory arduous physical training. Adversities happen when we least expect them, but that doesn’t mean the hardships or misfortunes should define you or let them overpower you.
Some of the “fortitude” synonyms include:
- Perseverance
- Braveness
- Endurance
- Fearlessness
- Determination
- Courage
- Strength
- Moxie
- Audacity
What Is the Meaning of Fortitude?
Fortitude also means suppressing your feelings to do what is right or necessary. It can also be used when someone stands for you with courage amidst fear or pain.
For instance, when there’s a stroke of bad luck, a person who shows fortitude in the face of great personal loss may be praised for their strength even though outwardly they might appear devastated. In a sentence: “She displayed remarkable fortitude when her best friend lost her father.”
Have you been in a situation where you work so hard in your organization, but the boss is a bully? It’s even worse when you can’t leave that job because that’s what your family depends on. Maintaining control when faced with a challenge like that and not giving up even when things get tough can be described with the word “fortitude.”
Additional Meaning of Fortitude
Fortitude means making strong decisions amidst danger or when under pressure. Sometimes, you need to act even when the decisions on the tables seem worst; because if you don’t, you’ll be in for a bigger and worse surprise. In such a scenario, find the “least bad decision.”
For instance, a military or police leader chooses to make enlightened choices even in dangerous circumstances that could lead to failure rather than doing nothing and expecting the worst. Another example is when a family shows courage to vacate a newly built home due to unpredictable natural disasters.
Fortitude also means enduring over a long period. Such as when an athlete trains throughout the seasons despite the weather and terrain. Fortitude is about resilient people who will always find ways to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. Setbacks do not deter them, and instead, they fight harder, focusing on their goals.
Fortitude to Show Emotional, Mental, and Physical Strength
According to Joseph Epstein, an American writer and editor, “courage is a quality of mind and strength is a quality of the body.” That shows the need for people to have control over their minds and bodies in difficult situations. The same applies when it comes to “fortitude.”
Many people assume that “fortitude” is only associated with mental strength. It’s probably because of the phrase “mental fortitude,” which means confidence, resilience, and toughness of the mind in handling various extreme activities.
The truth is whenever you show mental, physical, or emotional strength to endure pain, adversity, or overcome any hardship; you’re showing fortitude behavior. The body and mind play a role.
For instance: “The company showed great fortitude by bouncing back after experiencing hard times.” A close analysis of the sentence will show the application of the three attributes. It can be that the company management had to sit down, brainstorm despite the hardship, and come up with a plan to bounce back.
How to Use Fortitude in a Sentence?
There are many ways to use fortitude in sentences. Whether you are talking or writing about a situation in sports, history, medicine, workplace, education, or anything that happens around you, fortitude best appears as a noun.
Know the message you want to pass across and ensure the word fits the context. Unlike most English words, fortitude isn’t easily confused with other words, and its usage shouldn’t be something to worry much about once you learn its meaning. Let’s look at some sentences with the word “fortitude.”
- John Bunyan’s epic poem, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), is a testament of fortitude and endurance.
- In the long history of moral philosophy, there have been two enduring concerns: what should be done and how we should live. Fortitude has occupied a central place in both of them.
10 Examples of Fortitude in a Sentence
Now that we know the definition, meaning, and how to use “fortitude” in a sentence, let’s look at examples of this word being used in sentences.
- Arsenal has shown so much fortitude in their ability to come back from being down 3 points against Liverpool in their last match at Emirates Stadium.
- The only way to get through the grueling and difficult experience during Army training is to show great fortitude and courage.
- Winning that game took a lot of fortitude to get through the tough times of penalties and red cards.
- Joe showed great fortitude and strength by standing up to his boss and demanding a raise.
- You need to have a great deal of fortitude if you want to live as a Mormon.
- My mother possesses the greatest amount of fortitude I’ve ever seen in my life.
- When my father was sent away for war, my sister didn’t break down – she was filled with lots of potent fortitude that no one saw her shed a tear.
- Lewis has shown remarkable fortitude during his battle with depression so far.
- Sam didn’t give up on himself – he showed true fortitude in what he did.
- His actions show just how much fortitude he has. He’s a man who knows what he wants and will do whatever it takes to get it.
How Do You Spell Fortitude?
The straightforward spelling is “f-o-r-t-i-t-u-d-e.” However, you have to read the word with these sounds: [FAW] + [TUH] + [TYOOD].
Have you ever been in a situation where you don’t know how to spell a word? It can be frustrating. Whenever a certain word gives you trouble, it helps to ask yourself what sound that letter makes. With that, you can easily spell and pronounce any word.
How Do You Pronounce Fortitude?
The British most preferred pronunciation is /faw.tuh.chood/, while American English speakers prefer /for.tuh.tood/.
If you have gone through all the steps of being a good reader but still face a pronunciation barrier from time to time, you can easily learn pronunciation with Google.
How Many Syllables Are in Fortitude?
There are 3 syllables in the word imperative. If you divide the word into syllables, you get for-ti-tude.
History & Etymology of Fortitude
Fortitude comes from the Middle French word fortitudo or fortitudin, which comes from the Latin word fortis. Fortitude’s original meaning was “strength of mind to overcome fear or hardship.”
The root word fortis means strong. It is the root of many English words, including “fortitude,” “fortnight” (which means fourteen nights), and “forte” (the musical term meaning loud). Other English words from fortis include “fortune,” “advantage,” and “fortuitous” (fortunate).
When Was Fortitude First Used?
Fortitude use was first recorded in Middle English in the 12th Century (1225-75).
Conclusion
As we have seen, fortitude has a rich history and many definitions. It is often described as strength of mind or spirit, but it can also be physical. The important thing to remember is that fortitude is not just one thing; many things are combined. And you don’t need to be a superhero to possess it!
Anyone can embrace the power of fortitude in their lives by using these different definitions when needed. What will you do with your new knowledge of fortitude? How will you put it into practice? We hope this article has helped you see that fortitude usage in a sentence doesn’t have to be difficult. Now go out there and show some guts!
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.