different between fortification vs fortify

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French fortification, from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f??(?)t?f??ke???n/, /?f??(?)t?f??ke???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

fortification (countable and uncountable, plural fortifications)

1. The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
2. That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle.
   • “[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic? […] ”

3. An increase in effectiveness, as by adding ingredients.
   • 1979, Kiplinger's Personal Finance (volume 33, number 7, July 1979, page 47)

     Compare the nutrition information label of a regular ready-to-eat fortified cereal with that of a presweetened brand and you'll note that, although the sweetened one's sugar content is higher, the fortification is virtually identical.

4. A jagged pattern sometimes seen during an attack of migraine.

Derived terms

• biofortification

Related terms

• fortify

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis.

Pronunciation

Noun

fortification f (plural fortifications)

1. fortification (all meanings)

Related terms

• fortifier

Further reading

• “fortification” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Old French fortifier, from Latin fortific?.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??t?fa?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??t?fa?/
• Hyphenation: for?ti?fy

Verb

fortify (third-person singular simple present fortifies, present participle fortifying, simple past and past participle fortified)

1. (military) To increase the defenses of; to strengthen and secure by military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces. [from early 15th c.]
2. (figuratively) To impart strength or vigor to.
3. (wine) To add spirits to wine to increase the alcohol content. [from 1880]

4. (food) To increase the nutritional value of food by adding ingredients. [from 1939]
   • 1979, Kiplinger's Personal Finance (volume 33, number 7, July 1979, page 47)

     Compare the nutrition information label of a regular ready-to-eat fortified cereal with that of a presweetened brand and you'll note that, although the sweetened one's sugar content is higher, the fortification is virtually identical.

Synonyms

• (To strengthen military defenses): castellate, incastle, incastellate; see also strengthen and secure
• (To impart strength): See also Thesaurus:strengthen

Derived terms

• biofortify

Related terms

• fort
• fortification
• fortress

Translations