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bulwark

American  
[bool-werk, -wawrk, buhl-] / ˈbʊl wərk, -wɔrk, ˈbʌl- /

noun

  1. a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart.

  2. any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance.

    The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

  3. any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt.

    Religion was his bulwark.
    Synonyms:
    mainstay, buttress, support

  4. Nautical. Usually bulwarks. a solid wall enclosing the perimeter of a weather or main deck for the protection of persons or objects on deck.

verb (used with object)

  1. to fortify or protect with a bulwark; secure by or as if by a fortification.

bulwark British  
/ ˈbʊlwək /

noun

  1. a wall or similar structure used as a fortification; rampart

  2. a person or thing acting as a defence against injury, annoyance, etc

  3. (often plural) nautical a solid vertical fencelike structure along the outward sides of a deck

  4. a breakwater or mole

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to defend or fortify with or as if with a bulwark

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bulwark

1375–1425; late Middle English bulwerk, probably < Middle Dutch bolwerc, equivalent to bol ( l ) e bole 1 + werk work (noun); boulevard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We saw it repeatedly called a bulwark of liberty.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

He added: “But if history is any guide, the tables will turn and the day will come when those disappointed by today’s result will appreciate the legislative process for the bulwark of liberty it is.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

That has served as a bulwark against economic headwinds, such as tariffs.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Historically, the tax system has operated as a bulwark against concentrations of wealth.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

For Glanvill, and others like him, the new science was intended to serve as a bulwark against materialism and atheism; being modern and believing in witchcraft went hand in hand.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.