Word: fortify (verb)

Associations

"Fortify" means to make something stronger, especially to protect it from attack or harm.

• Example 1: "They fortify the castle walls to defend against enemies." Here, it means making the walls stronger.
• Example 2: "We should fortify our bodies with vitamins." This means to make the body stronger or healthier.
• Example 3: "The government plans to fortify the economy." This means to strengthen or improve the economy. A synonym is "strengthen," but "fortify" often implies protection or defense, not just general improvement.

Substitution

You can use words like "strengthen," "reinforce," or "secure" instead of "fortify."

• "Strengthen" is general and can mean making anything stronger.
• "Reinforce" usually means adding support to something already there.
• "Secure" means making something safe or protected. Using these words changes the focus slightly, but all relate to making stronger or safer.

Deconstruction

• Prefix: "for-" here is part of the root, not a separate prefix.
• Root: "fort" comes from Latin "fortis," meaning strong.
• Suffix: "-ify" means "to make" or "to cause to be." So, "fortify" literally means "to make strong."

Inquiry

• How would you fortify your home if a storm was coming?
• Can you think of a way to fortify your mind or skills?
• Have you ever fortified a relationship or friendship? How?