Meaning

verb make strong or stronger

verb enclose by or as if by a fortification

verb prepare oneself for a military confrontation

originFrom Late Middle English fortifien, fortfien (“to strengthen (a castle, etc.) from attack; to strengthen (an army, etc.); to strengthen (a person), aid, support; to reinforce, support; to improve; to increase the efficacy of”), from Old French fortifier (modern French fortifier), from Late Latin fortificāre (“to strengthen, fortify”), from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”) (ultimately from…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0