forte

See also: forté, and fortë

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed 1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French; disyllabic pronunciation by association with Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”). Doublet of fort and fortis.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔːteɪ/, /ˈfɔːti/, /fɔːt/

  • Audio (Southern England); /ˈfɔːteɪ/:

    (file)

  • Audio (Southern England); /ˈfɔːti/:

    (file)

  • Audio (Southern England); /fɔːt/:

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfoɹ.teɪ/, /ˈfoɹti/, /foɹt/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t
• (non-hoarse-horse) IPA^(key): (rhotic) /ˈfoːɹt/, (non-rhotic) /ˈfoət/

Noun

forte (plural fortes)

1. A strength or talent; a strong point.

   He writes respectably, but poetry is not his forte.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 115:

     Between ourselves, the country is rather triste, and you have given me positively a sensation; yet my forte is not the Arcadian: however, I will do my petit possible to console you for the loss of le beau Lindor, who was my predecessor.

2. The strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:forte

Translations

strength or talent

• Bulgarian: си́ла (bg) f (síla), силна страна f (silna strana)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 長處／长处 (zh) (chángchu), 強項／强项 (zh) (qiángxiàng)

• Danish: stærke side, styrke c
• Faroese: styrki f
• Finnish: vahvuus (fi), vahva puoli
• German: starke Seite f, Stärke (de) f
• Hungarian: erősség (hu)
• Italian: forte (it) m, punto forte m
• Japanese: 強み (ja) (つよみ, tsuyomi)
• Lithuanian: stiprybė (lt) f
• Polish: mocna strona f
• Portuguese: forte (pt) m
• Russian: си́льная сторона́ f (sílʹnaja storoná), си́ла (ru) f (síla)
• Spanish: fuerte (es) m, punto fuerte m
• Swedish: stark sida c, styrka (sv) c, paradgren (sv) c

the strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: juuri (fi)
• Hungarian: erős (hu)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian forte (“strong”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔː.teɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfoɹ.teɪ/
• (non-hoarse-horse) IPA^(key): (rhotic) /ˈfoːɹteɪ/, (non-rhotic) /ˈfoəteɪ/

Adverb

Forte notation.

forte (comparative more forte, superlative most forte)

1. (music) Loudly, as a dynamic in a piece of music.

   (abbreviation) f

   The musicians played the passage forte.

Related terms

• fortepiano
• fortissimo
• fortississimo
• mezzo forte
• pianoforte

Translations

music: loudly

• Bulgarian: форте (forte)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 強／强 (zh) (qiáng)

• Finnish: fortena (fi), kovaa (fi), voimakkaasti (fi)
• German: forte (de)
• Hungarian: forte (hu)
• Japanese: フォルテ (ja) (forute)
• Russian: форте (ru) (fórtɛ)

Adjective

forte (comparative more forte, superlative most forte)

1. (music) Loud.

   This passage is forte, then there's a diminuendo to mezzo piano.

Translations

music: loud

• Bulgarian: силно (bg) (silno)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 強／强 (zh)

• Finnish: forte (fi)
• German: forte (de)
• Hungarian: forte (hu)
• Russian: фо́рте (ru) (fórtɛ)

Noun

forte (plural fortes)

1. A passage in music to be played loudly; a loud section of music.

   This forte marks the climax of the second movement.

Related terms

terms containing the word "forte" (could be from any etymology above, or etymologically unrelated)

• dagesh forte
• eau forte
• peine forte et dure
• piano-forte
• powder-forte

 

See also

• piano

Anagrams

• Foret, fetor, frote, ofter

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɒːd̥ə]

Etymology 1

From Old Danish forta, fortæ (“space around a horse”), see fortov (“pavement”).

Noun

forte c (singular definite forten, plural indefinite forter)

1. (historical) open space in a village
2. (historical) enclosed cattle path

Declension

Declension of forte

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	forte	forten	forter	forterne
genitive	fortes	fortens	forters	forternes

Further reading

• “Forte,1” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Etymology 2

From Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”).

Adverb

forte

1. (music) forte, loudly

   Antonym: piano

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈforte]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -orte
• Hyphenation: for‧te

Adverb

forte

1. strongly

Related terms

• forta
• forto
• malforta
• perforto

See also

• fortika

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔʁt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Adjective

forte f sg

1. feminine singular of fort

Anagrams

• foret, forêt

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɾte/ [ˈfɔɾ.t̪ɪ]
• Rhymes: -ɔɾte
• Hyphenation: for‧te

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese forte, from Latin fortis, fortem (“strong”), from Old Latin forctis, fortis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

Adjective

forte m or f (plural fortes)

1. strong

Derived terms

• fortemente

 

Related terms

• fortalecer
• fortaleza
• fortificar
• forza

 

Etymology 2

From praza forte, "strong place".

Noun

forte m (plural fortes)

1. fortress

Derived terms

• fortín

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “forte”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “forte”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “forte”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “forte”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “forte”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024
• “forte” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).

Italian

Etymology

From Latin fortem, from Old Latin forctis, fortis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔr.te/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔrte
• Hyphenation: fòr‧te

Noun

forte m (plural forti)

1. fort, fortress

   Synonyms: fortezza, fortilizio, fortino, bicocca, piazzaforte, roccaforte, ridotta

2. a strength or talent

   La chimica non è il mio forte

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Adjective

forte (plural forti, superlative fortissimo)

1. strong

   Sono alto e forte. ― I am tall and strong.

2. (linguistics) stressed

   vocali forti ― stressed vowel

Synonyms

• robusto

Antonyms

• debole

Related terms

• fortemente
• fortezza
• fortificare
• forza

Further reading

• forte in Dizionario di Italiano online - La Repubblica

Latin

Etymology 1

From the ablative of fors (“chance, luck”).

Noun

forte

1. ablative singular of fors

Adverb

forte (not comparable)

1. by chance, accidentally

   Synonym: temere

2. once, once upon a time
3. perhaps, perchance
4. as luck would have it
5. as it (just so) happens/happened

Synonyms

• (by chance): fortuītō
• (perhaps): forsit, forsitan, fortasse, fortassis

Related terms

• fors
• forsan
• forsit
• forsitan
• fortasse
• fortassis
• fortuītō
• fortuītus
• fortūna

 

Etymology 2

From fortis.

Adjective

forte

1. nominative/vocative/accusative singular neuter of fortis

References

• “forte”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “forte”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• forte in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• forte in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) quite accidentally, fortuitously: temere et fortuito; forte (et) temere
    

Norman

Adjective

forte f

1. feminine singular of fort

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

forte

1. definite singular of fort
2. plural of fort

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin fortem (“strong”), from Old Latin forctis, fortis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɾ.te/

Adjective

forte m or f by sense (plural fortes)

1. strong; powerful (capable of producing great physical force)
2. (of wind, water, etc.) strong; fast moving etc.
3. (of a disease or symptom) strong; severe
4. fortified (of a castle)

Derived terms

• fortaleza
• fortemente

 

Related terms

• esforçado
• esforçar
• esforço
• força
• forçadamente
• forçado
• forçador
• forçar
• forçoso

 

Descendants

• Fala: forti
• Galician: forte
• Portuguese: forte

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "forte"

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”), from Old Latin forctis, fortis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to rise, high, hill”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔʁ.t͡ʃi/ [ˈfɔh.t͡ʃi]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔʁ.t͡ʃi/ [ˈfɔh.t͡ʃi]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɾ.t͡ʃi/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔʁ.t͡ʃi/ [ˈfɔχ.t͡ʃi]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɻ.te/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɾ.tɨ/

• (Northeast Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔh.tɪ/, /fɔhtʲ/, /fɔʈʲ/
• Hyphenation: for‧te

Noun

forte m (plural fortes)

1. strength (pronounced quality), strong suit
2. fortress

   Synonym: fortaleza

Adjective

forte m or f (plural fortes, comparable, comparative mais forte, superlative o mais forte or fortíssimo, diminutive fortinho, augmentative fortão)

1. capable of producing great force; strong; forceful

   O homem forte levantou o carro.

   The strong man lifted the car.

2. capable of withstanding great force; strong; durable
3. highly stimulating to the senses; intense; extreme; strong

   Senti um cheiro muito forte.

   I smelled a very strong odor.

4. (euphemistic) fat

   Synonym: gordo

Derived terms

• fortemente

 

Related terms

• força
• fortaleza
• fortição
• fortificação

 

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian forte or Latin fortis.

Adjective

forte m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. strong, powerful

Declension

Declension of forte (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	forte		forte	forte	forte
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive/ dative	indefinite	forte		forte	forte	forte
	definite	—		—	—	—

Adverb

forte

1. strongly

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian forte. Doublet of fuerte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfoɾte/ [ˈfoɾ.t̪e]
• Rhymes: -oɾte
• Syllabification: for‧te

Adjective

forte m or f (masculine and feminine plural fortes)

1. (music) forte

Adverb

forte

1. (music) forte

Noun

forte m (plural fortes)

1. (music) forte

Further reading

• “forte”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian forte.

Adverb

forte (not comparable)

1. (music) forte (loudly)

Noun

forte n

1. (music) forte (passage to be played loudly)

Declension

Declension of forte

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	forte	fortes
	definite	fortet	fortets
plural	indefinite	forten	fortens
	definite	fortena	fortenas

Further reading

• forte in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• forte in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• forte in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)