Noun

• S: (n) anchor, mainstay, keystone, backbone, linchpin, lynchpin (a central cohesive source of support and stability) "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm"
• S: (n) backbone, grit, guts, moxie, sand, gumption (fortitude and determination) "he didn't have the guts to try it"
• domain usage
• direct hypernym / inherited hypernym / sister term
• S: (n) fortitude (strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage)
• S: (n) courage, courageousness, bravery, braveness (a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear)
• S: (n) spirit (a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character)
• S: (n) character, fiber, fibre (the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions) "education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer
• S: (n) trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)
• S: (n) attribute (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity)
• S: (n) abstraction, abstract entity (a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples)
• S: (n) entity (that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving))
• S: (n) natural virtue ((scholasticism) one of the four virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) derived from nature)
• S: (n) cardinal virtue (one of the seven preeminent virtues)
• S: (n) virtue (a particular moral excellence)
• S: (n) good, goodness (moral excellence or admirableness) "there is much good to be found in people"
• S: (n) morality (concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct)
• S: (n) quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone) "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare
• S: (n) attribute (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity)
• S: (n) abstraction, abstract entity (a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples)
• S: (n) entity (that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving))
• derivationally related form
• S: (n) spinal column, vertebral column, spine, backbone, back, rachis (the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord) "the fall broke his back"
• S: (n) spine, backbone (the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved) "the title and author were printed on the spine of the book"
• S: (n) backbone (the part of a network that connects other networks together) "the backbone is the part of a communication network that carries the heaviest traffic"