courageous

adjective

cou·​ra·​geous kə-ˈrā-jəs How to pronounce courageous (audio)
: having or characterized by courage : brave
a courageous soldier
a courageous decision
courageously adverb
courageousness noun

Examples of courageous in a Sentence

She was a courageous woman who wasn't afraid to support unpopular causes. the courageous decision to quit rather than obey an illegal order
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The doc observes students shaping and driving courageous forms of conversation among themselves and with their institutions. Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025 John Lewis John Lewis, born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, was a son of sharecroppers who became one of the most courageous and enduring voices of the Civil Rights Movement. Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 The challenge for business leaders is to get better at recognizing these unsung contributors—and more courageous in promoting them. Martin Gutmann, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 Those are the types of questions courageous politicians should be embracing. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for courageous

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corageous, borrowed from Anglo-French corajus, from corage courage + -us, -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of courageous was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Courageous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courageous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

courageous

adjective
cou·​ra·​geous kə-ˈrā-jəs How to pronounce courageous (audio)
: having or marked by courage : brave
courageously adverb
courageousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on courageous

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