English → Latin
“fortification” in Latin
arxstronghold, castle, citadel, fortress, acropolis; height, summit, pinnacle, top, peak (since castles were often built oncastellumcastle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold; a dwelling in a high place; a shelter, stronghold, defence, refugecastrumcastle, fort, fortress; several soldiers' tents situated together; hence, a military camp, an encampmentprōpugnāculumbulwark, rampart, fortress; defencemūnītiōa defending, fortifying, protecting; defence, fortification, rampart; a repairing of roadscommūnītiōpreparation of a way (literal road or figurative pathway)
The English word fortification itself goes back to Latin fortis, through fortificatio.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
fortification
A fortified place, locus munitus (general term for any fortified place): arx (the citadel): castellum: castrum (if a height that commands the surrounding country; a fort): propugnaculum (any work that serves to ward off the attack of an enemy). A natural fortification, locus natura or naturaliter munitus; castellum natura munitum: a strong fortification, oppidum munitissimum or maximis operibus munitum; opere et natura egregie munitus locus; oppidum operibus et natura munitum (if strong from nature and by art): to demolish a fortification, munimenta oppidi solo aequare (or adaequare); castrum diruere: fortifications, operis munitio; opus (or opera) munitionesque; also, munitiones only; munimenta, orum; opera, um, or (of a town = its walls) moenia, ium: the throwing up of fortifications, munitio; communitio.
Act of fortifying, munitio: communitio: the art of fortifying, ars muniendi; *architectura militaris; *ars muniendi.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for fortification?
- The usual Latin words for “fortification” are arx, castellum, castrum; also prōpugnāculum, mūnītiō, commūnītiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.