bravery
American
Synonym Usage
See courage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bravery
First recorded in 1540–50; probably from Italian braveria; equivalent to brave + -ery
Compare meaning
How does bravery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Bravery is the admirable quality of being able to confront frightening things. It takes bravery for a knight to battle a dragon, but it also takes bravery for a shy child to walk into a new classroom. You can also call bravery courage or valor. Firefighters are often acknowledged for their bravery, but everyday people also act with bravery if they confront their fears. Even though you're scared when you jump out of the plane with your skydiving instructor, the fact that you're doing it at all takes real bravery. It also takes bravery to pet a friend's German shepherd, especially if you are afraid of dogs. The earliest meaning of bravery was closer to bravado: "daring, defiance, and boasting."
Vocabulary lists containing bravery
"Saying Yes" and "A Lion Hunt"
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
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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.
See Examples For:
Intentionally or not, then, John’s ultimate choice to let Noah live and keep Kerry’s culpability in Hal’s death a secret is a demonstration of empathy’s bravery.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
“The bravery of everyone on that plane honestly just showed how in moments like that, life is the top priority, which was really beautiful to see.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
He later hailed the wounded pilot, Machchhar, "for his extraordinary bravery", saying he prevented a "catastrophic mid-air disaster".
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
The paper says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the passengers who intervened as "lions", and declared Machchhar a "true hero" of "extraordinary bravery".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
OBS.—The heart is accounted the seat of bravery: hence, the derivative sense of courage.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
By the end, Parkinson’s and his past braveries in the ring had rendered Ali near immobile and mute.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2016
To no avail does he protest his former braveries and services; the Queen scourges him with words.
From Time Magazine Archive
Following the high-kneed, fancy twirling majorettes, some 30 bands gave out, in the simple-hearted braveries of Western brass and the intricate Oriental din of bells, cymbals and gongs.
From Time Magazine Archive
He knew most of the secrets, weaknesses, and the braveries of Salinas.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
The Dakotahs, with their high pointed buffalo skin tents, above the town, and their decorations and implements of flags, feathers, skins and personal "braveries," presented the scene of a Bedouin encampment.
From Personal Memoirs of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
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.
