audac-, audaci-

(Latin: to dare, be bold)

audace (s) (noun), audaces (pl)
1. Daring or brave; confident, adventurous, and courageous.
2. Boldness; impudence.
Audaces fortuna iuvat (juvat). (Latin proverb)
Translation: "Fortune favors the bold."

Also given as Audentes fortuna iuvat: Fortune favors the daring. This motto for the bold and successful and for those who aspire to success was cited by many Roman writers.

The English proverb, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" provides another viewpoint of this Roman saying.

audacious (adjective), more audacious, most audacious
1. Bold, daring, or fearless, especially in challenging certain assumptions or conventions: The soldier was an audacious warrior when he fought the enemy in order to save his comrades.
2. Extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave: Mildred's father was an audacious explorer in the Canadian north.
3. Extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive: The mayoral candidate had an audacious vision of the city's future.
4. Recklessly defiant of convention, propriety, law, etc.: Joe's audacious behavior during the demonstration resulted in his being arrested by the police.
5. Lively; unrestrained; uninhibited: The actress had an audacious interpretation of her role in the drama.
6. Referring to a person who shows an impudent lack of respect: The student made an audacious remark to the teacher when he was told to quit talking while she was presenting her lesson to the class.
7. Etymology: Formed from Latin audac-, the stem of audax, "bold", from audere, "to dare", from avidus, "eagerness" or "greed for something".
Showing contempt for a law or a situation.
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Extremely bold or daring, fearless.
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audaciously (adverb), more audaciously, most audaciously
1. In a fearless, often recklessly daring behavior; excessively bold.
3. Relating to behaving in a bold way that challenges assumptions or conventions.
audaciousness (s) (noun) (no plural)
1. An aggressive or reckless bhavior or unmitigated effrontery; rashness.
2. A foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness.
audacity (s) (noun), audacities (pl)
1. The willingness to take courageous risks: The audacity of the fireman saved the life of the little girl when the apartment building was on fire.
2. Boldness which may be combined with disregard for the consequences; rashness, recklessness: Skydiving takes both audacity and skill.
3. Open disregard for proper behavior or morality; impudence: The woman had the audacity to walk out during the sermon in church.
4. Aggressive rudeness or unmitigated effrontery: Shirley had the audacity to challenge her father's decision that she should not stay out late.
Impudence or showing a lack of respect for another person.
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Additional examples of audacity in action:

A mother challenges her boy's honesty.
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I asked you to tell me where you've been all afternoon! Don't tell me again that you were over at Jimmy's because I called and he said you weren't there. Now, tell me the truth!

The boy responds with an audacious statement.
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Mother, do you have the audacity to doubt my veracity and to insinuate that I prevaricate when I am as pure and undefiled as the icicles that hang from a church steeple?

inaudacious (adjective), more inaudacious, most inaudacious
Relating to being afraid or not being brave enough to face a challenge or a threat.
inaudacity (s) (noun), inaudacities (pl)
A deficiency of making proper decisions or not doing the right thing: The inaudacity of the father who ran out of the burning building before taking his little son out with him could have resulted in the child's death, however the bravery of the woman in the apartment across the hall saved his life because she heard him crying and took him out to safety.