LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

fortis

fortis (neuter forte, comparative fortior, superlative fortissimus, adverb fortiter)
Classical[ˈfɔr.tɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɔr.tis]
№ 286 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. two terminationstrong, powerful
    Adeō fortis erat ut arborēs pugnō excīderet.He was so strong that he could cut down trees with his fist.
  2. figurativelytwo terminationfirm, resolute, steadfast, stout
  3. figurativelytwo terminationcourageous, brave
    omne solum fortī patria est, ut piscibus aequor,Every land is home to the brave, as to fishes the sea, as to birds for every void whatsoever in the open world.8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 1.493–494
  4. figurativelytwo terminationmanly, mannish (corresponding to the Greek ἀνδρεῖος)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Mille Verba cover
quī nōn timet; mīles fortis.
fortis -e — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefortisfortisforte
genitivefortisfortisfortis
dativefortīfortīfortī
accusativefortemfortemforte
ablativefortīfortīfortī
vocativefortisfortisforte
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativefortēsfortēsfortia
genitivefortiumfortiumfortium
dativefortibusfortibusfortibus
accusativefortīs
fortēs		fortīs
fortēs		fortia
ablativefortibusfortibusfortibus
vocativefortēsfortēsfortia

Lewis & Short A Latin Dictionary, 1879

fortis (archaic form FORCTIS, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Fest. s. v. sanates, p. 348 Müll.; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 84; and perh. also in the form FORCTUS; v. id. s. v. horctum, p. 102; cf. Müll. ad Fest. p. 320, b), e, adj. Sanscr. dhar-; v. forma, firmus,
I. strong, powerful.
I. Physically (rare; syn.: firmus, strenuus, incolumis, animosus): ecquid fortis visa est (mulier), powerful, Plaut. Mil. 4, 3, 13: set Bacchis etiam fortis tibi vissast? id. Bacch. 2, 2, 38: sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo Vicit Olympia, nunc senio confectus quiescit, a powerful horse, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 5, 14 (Ann. v. 441 ed. Vahl.); so, equus, Lucr. 3, 8; 764; 4, 987; Verg. A. 11, 705.—Poet. transf.: aquarum, Lucr. 6, 530: terrae pingue solum ... Fortes invortant tauri, Verg. G. 1, 65: contingat modo te filiamque tuam fortes invenire, i. e. hearty, well, Plin. Ep. 4, 1 fin.; 4, 21, 4; 6, 4, 3: antecedebat testudo pedum LX., facta item ex fortissimis lignis, Caes. B. C. 2, 2, 4; so, ligna fortissima, Veg. 1, 24 fin.: invalidissimum urso caput, quod leoni fortissimum, Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 130: fortiores stomachi, id. 32, 7, 26, § 80: plantae fortiores fient, Pall. Febr. 24, 7: fortiorem illum (pontem) tueri, Auct. B. Alex. 19, 2: castra, Cic. Div. 1, 33, 72: aratra, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10: fortiora remedia, Tac. A. 1, 29: humeri, Val. Fl. 1, 434: vincula, Sen. Hippol. 34: sol (with medius), powerful, i. e. fierce, hot, id. Med. 588: fortiora ad hiemes frumenta, legumina in cibo, Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 60: (vites) contra pruinas fortissimae, id. 14, 2, 4, § 23.—
II. Mentally, strong, powerful, vigorous, firm, steadfast, stout, courageous, brave, manly, etc., answering to the Gr. ἀνδρεῖος (very freq. in all periods and sorts of composition).
A. Of human beings: fortis et constantis est, non perturbari in rebus asperis nec tumultuantem de gradu deici, ut dicitur; sed praesenti animo uti et consilio, nec a ratione discedere, Cic. Off. 1, 23, 80: temperantia libidinem (aspernatur), ignaviam fortitudo: itaque videas rebus injustis justos maxime dolere, imbellibus fortes, id. Lael. 13, 47: gladiatores fortes et animosos et se acriter ipsos morti offerentes servare cupimus, id. Mil. 34, 92: rebus angustis animosus atque Fortis appare, Hor. C. 2, 10, 22: viri fortes et magnanimi, Cic. Off. 1, 19, 63: vir fortis et acris animi magnique, id. Sest. 20, 45: boni et fortes et magno animo praediti, id. Rep. 1, 5; 1, 3: sapientissimi et fortissimi, id. ib. 2, 34: vir liber ac fortis, id. ib. 2, 19: horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 3: fortissimus vir, id. ib. 2, 25, 1; 2, 33, 4; 3, 20, 2: hunc liberta securi Divisit medium, fortissima Tyndaridarum, Hor. S. 1, 1, 100: vis recte vivere? quis non? Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omissis Hoc age deliciis, id. Ep 1, 6, 30: seu quis capit acria fortis Pocula, id. S. 2, 6, 69: cavit, ne umquam infamiae ea res sibi esset, ut virum fortem decet, an honorable or worthy man, Ter. And. 2, 6, 13; cf.: FORCTIS frugi et bonus, sive validus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 84 Müll.; and: HORCTUM et FORCTUM pro bono dicebant, id. p. 102: ego hoc nequeo mirari satis, Eum sororem despondisse suam in tam fortem familiam ... Familiam optimam occupavit, so respectable, honorable a family, Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 9; (cf. bonus): vir ad pericula fortis, Cic. Font. 15, 33: nondum erant tam fortes ad sanguinem civilem, Liv. 7, 40, 2: vir contra audaciam fortissimus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 85: vidi in dolore podagrae hospitem meum fortiorem, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 527, 33: imperator in proeliis strenuus et fortis, Quint. 12, 3, 5: virum fortem ac strenuum scio dixisse, etc., Sall. C. 51, 16: si fortes fueritis in eo, quem nemo sit ausus defendere, if you had proceeded with vigor, energy, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 1, § 3.—Poet., with dat.: fugacibus, Ov. M. 10, 543; and with inf.: fortis et asperas Tractare serpentes, Hor. C. 1, 37, 26: contemnere honores, id. S. 2, 7, 86: aurum spernere fortior Quam cogere, id. C. 3, 3, 50; Stat. Th. 10, 906.—Prov.: fortes fortuna adjuvat, fortune favors the brave, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 26; cf.: fortes enim non modo fortuna adjuvat, ut est in vetere proverbio, sed multo magis ratio, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: audendum est; fortes adjuvat ipsa Venus, Tib. 1, 2, 16: fortibus est fortuna viris data, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 262 ed. Vahl.; for which: audentes fortuna iuvat, Verg. A. 10, 284; and: audentes deus ipse juvat, Ov. M. 10, 586); cf. also elliptically: sedulo, inquam, faciam: sed fortuna fortes; quare conare, quaeso, Cic. Fin. 3, 4, 16; id. Fam. 7, 25.—
B. Of animals (rare): fortes ad opera boves, Col. 6, 1, 2: bestiae et fortiora animalia, Lact. 6, 10, 13.—
C. Of inanim. and abstr. things: ex quo fit, ut animosior senectus sit quam adolescentia et fortior, Cic. de Sen. 22, 72: fortibus oculis, with eyes sparkling with courage, id. Att. 15, 11, 1: fortissimo et maximo animo ferre, id. Fam. 6, 13 fin.: animus, Hor. S. 2, 5, 20: pectus, id. Epod. 1, 14; id. S. 2, 2, 136: fortissimo quodam animi impetu, Cic. de Or. 3, 8, 31: acerrima et fortissima populi Romani libertatis recuperandae cupiditas, id. Phil. 12, 3, 7: in re publica forte factum, id. Att. 8, 14, 2: ut nullum paulo fortius factum latere posset, Caes. B. G. 3, 14, 8: fortia facta, Sall. C. 59, 6; id. J. 53, 8; Liv. 26, 39, 3; Curt. 7, 2, 38: opera, service, Liv. 40, 36, 11: consilia, id. 9, 11, 4; 25, 31, 6; Cic. Sest. 23, 57; Tac. H. 3, 67: solatia, id. A. 4, 8: nulla poterat esse fortior contra dolorem et mortem disciplina, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: acerrimae ac fortissimae sententiae, id. Cat. 3, 6, 13: oratio fortis et virilis, id. de Or. 1, 54, 231; cf.: genus dicendi forte, vehemens, id. ib. 3, 9, 32: non semper fortis oratio quaeritur, sed saepe placida, summissa, lenis, id. ib. 2, 43, 183: placidis miscentem fortia dictis, Ov. M. 4, 652: verba, Prop. 1, 5, 14.—Hence, adv.: fortĭter.
1. (Acc. to I.) Strongly, powerfully, vigorously (rare): astringere, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 25: verberare virgis uvas, Pall. Oct. 19.—Comp.: sublatis fortius manibus, Petr. 9: fortius attrahere lora, Ov. R. Am. 398: ardere, id. M. 6, 708.—Sup.: fortissime urgentes, Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32: rigorem fortissime servat ulmus, id. 16, 40, 77, § 210. —
2. (Acc. to II.) Strongly, powerfully, boldly, intrepidly, valiantly, bravely, manfully (very freq. in all periods and kinds of composition): quae (vincla, verbera, etc.) tulisse illum fortiter et patienter ferunt, Cic. Phil. 11, 3, 7; cf.: fortiter et sapienter ferre, id. Att. 14, 13, 3: fortiter excellenterque gesta, id. Off. 1, 18, 61: facere quippiam (with animose), id. Phil. 4, 2, 6: repudiare aliquid (with constanter), id. Prov. Cons. 17, 41: bellum gerere, id. Fl. 39, 98; cf.: sustinere impetum hostium, Caes. B. G. 2, 11, 4: perire, Hor. S. 2, 3, 42: absumptis rebus maternis atque paternis, manfully made away with, id. Ep. 1, 15, 27.—Comp.: pugnare, Caes. B. G. 2, 26, 2: evellere spinas animo an agro, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 4: et melius secat res, id. S. 1, 10, 15.—Sup.: Dolabella injuriam facere fortissime perseverat, Cic. Quint. 8, 31: restitit hosti, Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 5.

Origins

From Old Latin forctis, from Proto-Italic *forktis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”) (> Proto-Indo-European *bʰérǵʰ-ti-s) or Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“to bind fast, to be firm, strong”); in the latter case, an earlier Proto-Italic form of the word *θorktis can be reconstructed.

Elsewhere
  • Catalanfort
  • Frenchfort
  • Englishfortfrom French fort
  • Italianforte
  • Englishfortefrom Italian forte
  • Occitanfòrt
  • Portuguesefortefrom Old Galician-Portuguese forte
  • Romanianfoarte
  • Sardinianfolte
  • Sardinianforte
Borrowings
  • Englishfortis
  • Albanianfortë
  • Basquebortitz
  • Norwegian Bokmålfortiori