fortitude

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2008 is: fortitude • \FOR-tuh-tood\  • noun : strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage Examples: Due to the hot weather, the road race was more a test of fortitude than of athletic ability. Did you know? "Fortitude" comes from the Latin word "fortis," meaning "strong," and in English it has always been used primarily to describe strength of mind. For a time, the word was also used to mean "physical strength" -- Shakespeare used that sense in The First Part of King Henry the Sixth: "Coward of France! How much he wrongs his fame Despairing of his own arm's fortitude." But despite use by the Bard, that second sense languished and is now considered obsolete. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.