audacity
/ɔːˈdæsəti/
noun
Origin
Latin
audax — bold, daring
Overview
Meaning Now
- A willingness to take bold risks.
- Rude or disrespectful behavior; impudence.
Literal older meaning
boldness or daring
Language path
Latin → Middle French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
audacite
Earliest period
late 14th century
Journey
The term derives from the Latin 'audax', which meant 'daring' or 'bold'. While it historically possessed a positive connotation of heroic courage, by the 17th century, the meaning in English increasingly shifted to include negative connotations of insolence or lack of decorum.
Evolution
- Latin
audax
“bold, daring”
- Latin
audacitatem
“boldness”
accusative of audacitas
- Middle French
audacité
“boldness, daring”
- Early Modern English
audacity
“boldness, impudence”
Connections
Word parts
audac-
root
bold
-ity
suffix
state or quality of
Related across languages
French
daring
Spanish
audacia
audacity
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Related to audacity
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.