There is a quote that goes “The line between bravery and stupidity is so thin that you don’t know you’ve crossed it until you’re dead.” Brave, on the other hand, comes from the Italian word bravo, meaning “brave, bold.” Bravo, interestingly enough, originally meant “wild, savage,” says the Online Etymology Dictionary. Merriam-Webster notes that courage is linked historically to c œ ur, the French word for heart. Yet, when we look at how courage and bravery came into the English language, a distinction shows. The current definitions are very similar. It’s worth noting that here Merriam-Webster also defines brave as “having or showing courage.”
Now the words are used interchangeably, but a look to their history reveals an important difference.īravery is the “quality or state of being brave,” and Merriam-Webster, in its unabridged online version, defines brave as “resolute in facing odds able to meet danger or endure pain or hardship without giving in to fear.” The unabridged dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength enabling one to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty firmly and resolutely.” Today we’re discussing two words that are often connected to heroism: courage and bravery.
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