What does "stalwart" mean?
One who has a strong build.
Stalwart
/ˈstɔːl.wət/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who has a strong build.
- Grammar: stalwart is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a man, abettor, able-bodied, achilles.
- Useful contrasts: cowardly, feeble, flimsy.
- Usage evidence: Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green.
How to use "stalwart"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stalwart" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stalwart" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stalwart" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stalwart" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stalwart" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a man" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stalwart", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who has a strong build.
- 2 A member of the former Stalwarts Republican party of the United States during the Gilded Age. historical
- 3 a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt) wordnet
- 4 One who firmly supports a cause.
"Too much authority, blind authority, mere authority, whether that of the Prince or the priest, of the Raja or the Nabob, of the oligarch or the official, of the wealty and the prosperous is the bane of Indian life, yet these stalwarts of reform always take shelter behind big names."
- 5 One who is dependable.
"The party's staunchest stalwarts constitute the President's redoubtable bulwark against the latter bribery accusations."
Adjective
- 1 Firmly or solidly built.
"This true Man ſoon aſſembled him beforn: / Three Sons he had that ſtalwart were and bold, / And twenty Men of Kin in his Houſhold."
- 2 Courageous.
"Many other learned men of the age followed him [Romolo Amaseo] to the field, and contended with much zeal for the cause of the Latin; some even went so far as to wish the Italian completely banished entirely from the world. But stalwart champions were not wanting on the other side; and, to be brief, the impulse of public opinion soon swept away all opposition, and the popular cause was triumphant."
- 3 Determined; staunch.
Adjective
- 1 used especially of persons wordnet
- 2 dependable wordnet
- 3 having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stalwart"?
Common synonyms include: a man, abettor, able-bodied, achilles, adipose, admirer.
How do you use "stalwart" in a sentence?
Once upon a time, it matters little when, and in stalwart England, it matters little where, a fierce battle was fought. It was fought upon a long summer day when the waving grass was green.
How do you pronounce "stalwart"?
Pronounced /ˈstɔːl.wət/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Scots stalwart under the influence of Walter Scott, displacing earlier stalworth, wherewith it forms a doublet. From Middle English stal-worth (“physically strong, hardy, robust; brave, courageous”), from Old English stǣlwierþe (“able to stand in good stead, serviceable”), probably from staþol (“establishment; foundation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”)) or stǣl (“place; condition, stead”) + -wierþe (“able to, capable of”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate, turn”)).
Etymology 2
From stalwart.