Meanings
forte1
plural fortes
- A strength or talent; a strong point.
He writes respectably, but poetry is not his forte.
1 more example
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.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 115
forte2
comparative more forte · superlative most forte
- entertainmentLoudly, as a dynamic in a piece of music.
(abbreviation) f
1 more example
The musicians played the passage forte.
comparative more forte · superlative most forte
Forte3
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(used chiefly as a direction or description in music) indicating that said piece or segment should be played loudly
nounan asset of special worth or utility
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
forte · noun
- Latinfortis“strong”
- Englishforte
Borrowed 1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French; disyllabic pronunciation by association with Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”). Doublet of fort and fortis.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →forte · adverb, adjective, noun
- Italianforte“strong”
- Englishforte
Borrowed from Italian forte (“strong”).
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian си́ла, силна страна
- си́ла (síla)strength or talent
- силна страна (silna strana)strength or talent
- форте (forte)music: loudly
- силно (silno)music: loud
Chinese Mandarin 長處 /长处, 強項 /强项
- 長處 /长处 (chángchu)strength or talent
- 強項 /强项 (qiángxiàng)strength or talent
- 強 /强 (qiáng)music: loudly
- 強 /强music: loud
Czech silná stránka
- silná stránkastrength or talent
Danish stærke side, styrke
- stærke sidestrength or talent
- styrkestrength or talent
Finnish vahvuus, vahva puoli
- vahvuusstrength or talent
- vahva puolistrength or talent
- juurithe strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt
- fortenamusic: loudly
- kovaamusic: loudly
- voimakkaastimusic: loudly
- fortemusic: loud
German starke Seite, Stärke
- starke Seitestrength or talent
- Stärkestrength or talent
- fortemusic: loudly
- fortemusic: loud
Hungarian erősség, erős
- erősségstrength or talent
- erősthe strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt
- fortemusic: loudly
- fortemusic: loud
Italian forte, punto forte
- fortestrength or talent
- punto fortestrength or talent
Japanese 強み, フォルテ
- 強み (tsuyomi)strength or talent
- フォルテ (forute)music: loudly
Lithuanian stiprybė
- stiprybėstrength or talent
Polish mocna strona
- mocna stronastrength or talent
Portuguese forte
- fortestrength or talent
Russian си́льная сторона́, си́ла
- си́льная сторона́ (sílʹnaja storoná)strength or talent
- си́ла (síla)strength or talent
- форте (fórtɛ)music: loudly
- фо́рте (fórtɛ)music: loud
Spanish fuerte, punto fuerte
- fuertestrength or talent
- punto fuertestrength or talent
Swedish stark sida, styrka
- stark sidastrength or talent
- styrkastrength or talent
- paradgrenstrength or talent
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with forte
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
forte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forte
“forte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forte. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forte,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forte.
Source: forte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.