What does bravery mean?
Bravery is the quality of showing courage in the face of danger, pain, or difficulty. It describes both concrete acts — a soldier holding a line, a bystander pulling someone from a burning car — and an underlying character trait: the willingness to act despite fear. The word is strongly positive and appears frequently in news reporting, military citations, and everyday praise, as in phrases like 'an act of bravery' or 'a medal for bravery.' While it most often connotes physical courage, it extends naturally to moral courage, such as speaking an unpopular truth or confronting injustice at personal cost. English acquired the word through the adjective 'brave,' which entered the language in the late fifteenth century from French, ultimately tracing back to Italian. Closely related words include 'bravado' and 'bravura.' Bravery remains one of the most admired qualities a person can be credited with across English-speaking cultures.
nounCourageous behaviour or character; the quality of being willing to face danger, pain, or difficulty without giving in to fear.
- Courageous conduct or character, especially in the face of physical danger or hardship.
"The firefighter's bravery saved three lives that night."
"She was awarded a medal for her bravery during the rescue."
"It took real bravery to admit the mistake in front of the whole team."
Rarely used; the plural appears mainly in literary or historical writing to refer to individual courageous acts.
"The chronicler recorded the soldier's many braveries in battle."
English borrowed 'brave' from Italian 'bravo' — the same root behind shouting "Bravo!" at a performance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bravery
Bravery derives from the adjective 'brave,' which entered English in the late fifteenth century from Middle French 'brave,' itself likely borrowed from Italian 'bravo' meaning bold or valiant. The noun 'bravery' formed from this adjective and became established in English by the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. Its relatives include 'bravado,' from Spanish 'bravada,' and 'bravura,' both sharing the same Romance-language root.
Related word forms
How bravery is actually used
A positive, often formal or laudatory term used in journalism, awards, and everyday praise. It applies to both physical and moral courage, though it leans toward facing danger or adversity rather than mere boldness of opinion.
Easily confused with bravery
Bravery is genuine courage in facing danger, while bravado is a show of boldness or swagger that may not reflect real courage.