title fortitude

description Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2026 is:





fortitude • \FOR-tuh-tood\  • noun

Fortitude is a formal word that refers to the strength of mind that enables someone to encounter danger or to bear pain or adversity with courage. Less formal words with similar meanings include grit, fiber, and pluck.


// To reach the summit of the mountain requires not only great physical strength and training but the fortitude to persevere no matter the challenge.


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Examples:

“Managing is never a one-size-fits-all process. Personality, fortitude, and experience all matter, as does context.” — Gary Deer, The Daily Gazette (Xenia, Ohio), 28 Mar. 2026





Did you know?

Fortitude comes from the Latin word fortis, meaning “strong,” and in English it has always been used primarily to describe strength of mind. For a time, the word was also used to mean “physical strength”; William Shakespeare used it that way in Henry VI, Part 1: “Coward of France! How much he wrongs his fame / Despairing of his own arm’s fortitude.” But despite use by the famous bard, that meaning languished and is now considered obsolete. Even the familiar phrase “intestinal fortitude” is just a humorous way to refer to someone’s courage or mental stamina, not the literal strength of their digestive system. (If you’re looking to describe a mighty gastrointestinal tract, we might suggest “iron stomach.”)

pubDate Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:00:01 GMT

author Merriam-Webster

duration 119000

transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:06] It's the Word of the Day podcast for April 23rd. Today's word is fortitude, spelled F-O-R-T-I-T-U-D-E. Fortitude is a noun. It's a formal word that refers to the strength of mind that enables someone to encounter danger or to bear pain or adversity with courage. Less formal words with similar meanings include grit, fiber, and pluck. Here's the word used in a sentence from The Daily Gazette of Zinnia, Ohio. Managing is never a one-size-fits-all process. Personality, fortitude, and experience all matter, as does context. Fortitude comes from the Latin word fortis, meaning strong, and in English it has always been used primarily to describe strength of mind. For a time, the word was also used to mean physical strength. Shakespeare used it that way in Henry VI, Part 1, in these words, Coward of France, how much he wrongs his fame, despairing of his own arm's fortitude. But despite use by the famous bard, that meaning languished and is now considered obsolete. Even the familiar phrase intestinal fortitude is just a humorous way to refer to someone's courage or mental stamina, not the literal strength of their digestive system. If you're looking to describe a mighty gastrointestinal tract, we might suggest iron stomach. With your Word of the Day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.