fortification
noun
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In the Middle Ages, many European cities were entirely enclosed by sturdy walls, with walkways along the top and towers at intervals, designed to make an invasion impossible. A water-filled ditch, or moat, might run alongside the wall for added defense. Such defenses turned the entire city into a fort, or fortress. Over the centuries, fortifications changed steadily with the development of new weaponry. In World War II, the German fortification of the French coast included antitank barriers, bunkers, minefields, and underwater obstacles, but it wasn't enough to turn back the immense force of the Allied invasion on D-day.
Examples of fortification in a Sentence
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
The beach is situated along the Chesapeake Bay at the base of historic Fort Monroe, the largest masonry fortification in the United States.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026
Bailey offers the team superb defense behind the plate, and another potential right-handed bat against left-handed pitching, an area where the Guardians needed fortification.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
Since then, excavations have yielded numerous stone cannonballs near the site of what was once the city’s southern fortification wall.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fortification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortification. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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fortification
noun
