forte

(pronounced fo–rt) an activity one excels in; talent, skill, knack: The painting of landscapes is his forte.; (pronounced for’tay) a direction in music to play loud and with force (opposed to piano, meaning soft; subdued)

Not to be confused with:

fort – a fortified place occupied by troops; an army post: The fort was well guarded.

for·te¹

(fôr′tā′, fôrt)

1. Something in which a person excels: "His forte was in defusing negative rumors before they ever exploded into news accounts" (Jane Mayer).

2. The strong part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt.

[French fort, from Old French, strong, from Latin fortis; see fort.]

Usage Note: Forte, meaning "something in which a person excels," can be pronounced with one syllable, like the French word from which it is derived. It can also be pronounced with two syllables (fôr′tā′), which is the more common pronunciation in American English and was the choice of 74 percent of the Usage Panel in both our 1996 and 2016 surveys. Some of those who dislike the two-syllable pronunciation argue it should only be used for the music term forte, which is derived from Italian.

for·te²

(fôr′tā′) Music

adv. & adj. Abbr. f

In a loud, forceful manner. Used chiefly as a direction.

A note, passage, or chord played forte.

[Italian, strong, forte, from Latin fortis; see bhergh- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

forte

(fɔːt; ˈfɔːteɪ)

1. something at which a person excels; strong point: cooking is my forte.

2. (Fencing) fencing the stronger section of a sword blade, between the hilt and the middle. Compare foible

[C17: from French fort, from fort (adj) strong, from Latin fortis]

forte

(ˈfɔːtɪ) music

adj, adv

(Music, other) loud or loudly. Symbol: f

(Music, other) a loud passage in music

[C18: from Italian, from Latin fortis strong]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

forte¹

(fɔrt, foʊrt or, for 1, ˈfɔr teɪ)

n.

1. a strong point, as of a person; an ability or role in which one excels; specialty.

2. the part of a sword or foil blade between the hilt and the middle.

[1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French (see fort)]

pron: In the sense of a person's strong point (She draws well, but sculpture is her forte), the older, historical pronunciation of forte is with one syllable: (fôrt) or (fōrt). Perhaps owing to confusion with the musical term forte, borrowed from Italian, a two-syllable pronunciation (fôr′tā) is increasingly heard, esp. from educated speakers, and is now also considered standard.

for•te²

(ˈfɔr teɪ)
Music. adj.

1. loud; with force (opposed to piano).

adv.

2. loudly.

3. a passage that is loud and forcible, or is intended to be so.

[1715–25; < Italian < Latin fortis strong]

forte

loudly

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	forte - an asset of special worth or utility; "cooking is his forte" metier, speciality, specialty, strong point, strong suit, long suit, strength asset, plus - a useful or valuable quality green fingers, green thumb - a special ability to make plants grow
	2.	forte - (music) loud fortissimo loudness, intensity, volume - the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction); "the kids played their music at full volume" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
	3.	forte - the stronger part of a sword blade between the hilt and the foible part, portion - something less than the whole of a human artifact; "the rear part of the house"; "glue the two parts together" sword, steel, blade, brand - a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
Adj.	1.	forte - used chiefly as a direction or description in music; "the forte passages in the composition" loud piano, soft - used chiefly as a direction or description in music; "the piano passages in the composition"
Adv.	1.	forte - used as a direction in music; to be played relatively loudly loudly piano, softly - used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly

forte

noun speciality, strength, talent, strong point, métier, long suit (informal), gift Originality was never his forte.
failing, defect, shortcoming, imperfection, Achilles heel, weak point, chink in your armour

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

forte

noun

Something at which a person excels:

long suit, métier, specialty, strong point, strong suit.

Slang: bag, thing.

Translations

сила

forte

fortekovavoimakkaasti

abilità particolare forte vigoria

forte

[ˈfɔːtɪ] (US) [fɔːt] N (= strong point) → fuerte m (Mus) → forte m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

forte

[ˈfɔː^rteɪ ˈfɔː^rti] n → (point m) fort m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

forte

n (= strong point) → Stärke f, → starke Seite

forte

² (Mus)

adv → laut, forte

adj (= played loudly) → laut or forte gespielt; (= sung loudly) → laut or forte gesungen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

forte

[ˈfɔːtɪ] n → forte m

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Running has never been my particular athletic forte, and now when my very life depended upon fleetness of foot I cannot say that I ran any better than on the occasions when my pitiful base running had called down upon my head the rooter's raucous and reproachful cries of "Ice Wagon," and "Call a cab."

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He always thatched the ricks--for if anything were his forte more than another, it was thatching--and when the last touch had been put to the last beehive rick, Kester, whose home lay at some distance from the farm, would take a walk to the rick-yard in his best clothes on a Sunday morning and stand in the lane, at a due distance, to contemplate his own thatching walking about to get each rick from the proper point of view.

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The other was the Marquis de la Maison Forte, captain of a French frigate which had been taken by Commodore Warren's fleet.

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You know what my forte is, Gilbert--the fanciful, the fairylike, the pretty.

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The fashions of the day were rapidly running into the attainment of accomplishments among the young of her own sex, and the piano forte was already sending forth its sonorous harmony from one end of the Union to the other, while the glittering usefulness of the tambour-frame was discarded for the pallet and brush.

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"To expect, my lord, in truth, that is my forte; all my life I have expected."

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We have to consider what binds together two simultaneous sensations in one person, or, more generally, any two occurrences which forte part of one experience.

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Know, that in the course of your future life you will often find yourself elected the involuntary confidant of your acquaintances' secrets: people will instinctively find out, as I have done, that it is not your forte to tell of yourself, but to listen while others talk of themselves; they will feel, too, that you listen with no malevolent scorn of their indiscretion, but with a kind of innate sympathy; not the less comforting and encouraging because it is very unobtrusive in its manifestations."

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Roque turned round at the noise and perceived this comely figure, which drawing near thus addressed him, "I came in quest of thee, valiant Roque, to find in thee if not a remedy at least relief in my misfortune; and not to keep thee in suspense, for I see thou dost not recognise me, I will tell thee who I am; I am Claudia Jeronima, the daughter of Simon Forte, thy good friend, and special enemy of Clauquel Torrellas, who is thine also as being of the faction opposed to thee.

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Thus, one still reads in France, above the wicket of the prison in the seignorial mansion of Tourville, Sileto et spera ; in Ireland, beneath the armorial bearings which surmount the grand door to Fortescue Castle, Forte scutum, salus ducum ; in England, over the principal entrance to the hospitable mansion of the Earls Cowper: Tuum est .

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In vain my mother assured him she was quite satisfied; and if he would but lay by a little for the children, we should all have plenty, both for time present and to come: but saving was not my father's forte. He would not run in debt (at least, my mother took good care he should not), but while he had money he must spend it: he liked to see his house comfortable, and his wife and daughters well clothed, and well attended; and besides, he was charitably disposed, and liked to give to the poor, according to his means: or, as some might think, beyond them.

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Her forte seemed to be salads, and she astonished him with the deliciousness of a salad made from young bamboo shoots.

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