Words / C2

FORT-it-yood/ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd/

Fortitude is calm courage in pain or difficulty (formal): with fortitude, moral fortitude. Courage and bravery are everyday; fortitude stresses endurance more than dash. Fortuitous (already in the dictionary) is by chance — a lookalike. Do not praise fortitude as a reason to leave a post unfilled.

Meaning

Calm courage when facing pain or difficulty (formal).

Examples

• “Fortitude on the night shift is not a substitute for a second post.”
• “Courage is everyday. Stoicism is a philosophical cousin. Fortuitous is lucky-by-chance (already in C2). A fortress is a building. Endurance still needs a rota.”

Good to know

Stoic courage. Everyday: courage. Mix-up: fortuitous (by chance). Not a staffing model.

Near in meaning

courage

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