bravery

noun

brav·​ery ˈbrā-və-rē 

ˈbrāv-

plural braveries

1

: the quality or state of having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty : the quality or state of being brave : courage

showing bravery under fire

2

a

: fine clothes

wearing their Sunday bravery

b

: showy display

… the streets strewed with flowers and full of pageantry, banners, and bravery.

—John Evelyn

Synonyms

• gayety
• attire
• finery
• costume
• best bib and tucker
• best
• gaiety
• regalia
• full dress
• glad rags
• frippery

Examples of bravery in a Sentence

He received a medal for bravery.

children in their Sunday bravery

Recent Examples on the Web

Larry loomed very large in their lives for a long time, so there was definitely a lot of bravery that people showed in coming forward to tell their truth. —Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025

To come forward takes an extreme amount of bravery. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2025

She's obviously been through an amazing journey, a trauma, no doubt – a testimony to demonstrating her bravery in those circumstances... —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025

That’s partly simply a tactical thing — both sides naturally sit deep — but the conditions seemed to dissuade any kind of positional bravery. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French braverie "bravado, challenge, audacity," from braver "to challenge, flout, brave entry 2" + -erie -ery

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bravery

• knavery
• savory
• slavery
• antislavery
• proslavery
• unsavory

Kids Definition

bravery

noun

brav·​ery ˈbrāv-(ə-)rē 

plural braveries

1

: the quality or state of being brave : fearlessness

2

a

: fine clothes

b

: impressive or showy display