Fortitude
/ˈfɔːr.tə.tjuːd/noun
Mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, danger, or pain.
Did you know?Fortitude comes from Latin *fortitudo*, built on *fortis* meaning “strong,” so the word originally carried the force of raw strength before it became a virtue of endurance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“To strike, beat, or produce force; the deep ancestral source behind strength-related words.”
Latin
Latin
fortis
“Strong, brave, steadfast.”
Latin
Latin
fortitudo
“Strength, bravery, endurance.”
Old French
Old French
fortitude
“Strength of mind or body; endurance.”
Middle English
English
fortitude
“Courage and steadfastness in hardship.”
Modern English
English
fortitude
“Mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, danger, or pain.”