forte
forte Lexical Profile
forte Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thing at which someone excels; a particular strength, talent, or specialty.
"While cooking was never his forte, he was an exceptional baker."
In music, a passage or note meant to be played or sung loudly.
"The sudden forte startled the audience during the second movement."
In fencing, the stronger half of a sword blade, located between the middle and the hilt.
"The fencer parried the incoming lunge using the forte of her blade."
• adverb
In music, loudly or with force (used as a direction in musical notation).
"The conductor signaled for the strings to play the opening measures forte."
• adjective
In music, played or sung loudly or forcefully.
"The symphony concluded with a triumphant, forte passage from the brass section."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun meaning a personal strength, 'forte' came from French and was traditionally pronounced as a single syllable ('fort'), whereas the musical dynamic came from Italian and is pronounced with two syllables ('for-tay'); today, the two-syllable pronunciation is widely accepted for both senses.
• Rhymes for forte
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun meaning a strong point derives from French 'fort' ('strong'), originally referring to the strongest part of a sword blade near the hilt, while the musical term comes from Italian 'forte' ('loud, strong'), both ultimately tracing back to Latin 'fortis' ('strong').