fortaleza

fortress, stronghold

noun fohr-tah-LEH-sah Less Common

Origin: From Latin fortis ('strong').

Also means

strength, fortitude

Usage Note

Fortaleza combines the physical sense (a medieval castle or military fort) with the abstract sense (inner strength or resilience) — la fortaleza mental de los atletas ('athletes' mental fortitude'). It is not the same as fuerza ('force/power'), which is more about raw energy. Fortaleza is also a major Brazilian city, but that is a proper noun unrelated to the common noun.

Examples

"La fortaleza resistió el ataque durante semanas."

Natural Translation

The fortress held out against the attack for weeks.

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