Audacity
/ɔːˈdæsɪti/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
The willingness to take bold risks.
/ɔːˈdæsɪti/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
Boldness or daring, especially with a disregard for convention or propriety.
Her audacity in questioning the boss's decision was surprising.
💡 Simply: Being brave and daring, sometimes even rude.
More Examples
2
The thief's audacity in robbing the bank in broad daylight was shocking.
How It's Used
Literary
"He showed remarkable audacity in challenging the established order."
Political
"The politician's audacity in making such a bold statement surprised everyone."
From Middle French audacite, from Latin audacitas, from audax "bold, daring".
The word has maintained a similar meaning throughout history, consistently emphasizing boldness and sometimes a disregard for rules.
Memory tip
Think of 'audacious' (bold) + 'ity' (state of being).
Practice
Base: audacious
audasityaudacityyaudaceity
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written