temerity
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of temerity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English temeryte, from Latin temeritās “hap, chance, rashness,” equivalent to temer(e) “by chance, rashly” + -itās -ity
Explanation
Use the noun temerity to mean the quality of being unafraid of danger or punishment. If you have the temerity to jump off the bridge even after hearing about the risk of instant death, you truly are a nutcase. Someone who has the temerity to do something is usually considered to be bold in a foolish way. Near synonyms are audacity and recklessness. Temerity is from Middle English temeryte, from Latin temeritas, from temere "by chance, rashly."
Vocabulary lists containing temerity
To Kill a Mockingbird
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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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.
It is reprisal and revenge against a group that had the temerity to oppose hate wherever it originates.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
Hardly anyone has the temerity to stand up to it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
How many generals and admirals in the audience were appalled that this talk show host and former major in the National Guard had the temerity to sneer at experienced combat commanders?
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2025
The Times was especially agitated that the boys’ fathers had had the temerity to go to federal court over this.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2024
Oft doth reason, enthroned in the pillowed seraglio of the brain, hang back; whereas the flesh, which must walk abroad in the streets, finds its own temerity.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
