Adjacent Words

Fortitude definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOR'TITUDE, n. [L. fortitudo, from fortis, strong.]
That strength or firmness of mind or soul which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression or despondency. Fortitude is the basis or source of genuine courage or intrepidity in danger, of patience in suffering, of forbearance under injuries, and of magnanimity in all conditions of life. We sometimes confound the effect with the cause, and use fortitude as synonymous with courage or patience; but courage is an active virtue or vice, and patience is the effect of fortitude.
Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin fortitudin-, fortitudo, from fortis Date: 12th century 1. strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage 2. obsolete strength

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. courage in pain or adversity. Etymology: ME f. F f. L fortitudo -dinis f. fortis strong

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fortitude For"ti*tude, n. [L. fortitudo, fr. fortis strong. See Fort.] 1. Power to resist attack; strength; firmness. [Obs.] The fortitude of the place is best known to you. --Shak. 2. That strength or firmness of mind which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression, or despondency; passive courage; resolute endurance; firmness in confronting or bearing up against danger or enduring trouble. Extolling patience as the truest fortitude. --Milton. Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues. --Locke. Syn: Courage; resolution; resoluteness; endurance; bravery. See Courage, and Heroism.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that someone has shown fortitude, you admire them for being brave, calm, and uncomplaining when they have experienced something unpleasant or painful. (FORMAL) He suffered a long series of illnesses with tremendous dignity and fortitude. = courage, grit [approval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Endurance (with courage), firmness, resolution, patience, strength of mind, passive courage.

Moby Thesaurus

acceptance, backbone, boldness, bottom, bravery, bulldog courage, cardinal virtues, charity, constancy, courage, courageousness, dauntlessness, decisiveness, determination, endurance, energy, faith, fearlessness, fixity of purpose, forbearance, forbearing, forbearingness, force, gameness, gaminess, grit, grittiness, guts, gutsiness, hardihood, hardiness, heartiness, hope, indulgence, intestinal fortitude, intrepidity, iron will, justice, lenience, leniency, long-sufferance, long-suffering, longanimity, love, lustihood, lustiness, mettle, mettlesomeness, might, mightiness, moral courage, moral fiber, natural virtues, nerve, nerviness, obstinacy, patience, patience of Job, patientness, perseverance, pertinaciousness, pertinacity, pith, pluckiness, potency, power, powerfulness, prudence, resoluteness, resolution, robustness, ruggedness, sand, self-control, spirit, spunk, spunkiness, stalwartness, stamina, staying power, stick-to-itiveness, sticking power, stoicism, stoutness, strength, strength of mind, strength of purpose, strength of will, sturdiness, sufferance, supernatural virtues, sweet reasonableness, temperance, tenaciousness, tenacity, theological virtues, tolerance, toleration, toughness, valiancy, valor, valorousness, vigor, vigorousness, vitality, waiting game, waiting it out, will, will of iron, will power