for·te 1  (fôr t ā′, fôrt)
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n. 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 (fôrtā′), 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. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
for·te 2  (fôr t ā′) Music
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adv. & adj. Abbr. f In a loud, forceful manner. Used chiefly as a direction. n. A note, passage, or chord played forte.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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