English word origin

Etymology of brave

From Middle French brave, borrowed from Italian bravo, itself of uncertain origin (see there). Doublet of bravo.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

Strong in the face of fear; courageous. · Having any sort of superiority or excellence. · Making a fine show or display. · Foolish or unwise.

noun

A Native American warrior. · A man daring beyond discretion; a bully. · A challenge; a defiance; bravado.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle French brave, borrowed from Italian bravo, itself of uncertain origin (see there). Doublet of bravo.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionbravefrm
Derivation mentionbravoit
Doublet mentionbravoen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "brave"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French brave"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "it",
        "3": "bravo"
      },
      "expansion": "Italian bravo"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "bravo"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of bravo"
    }
  ],
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      "bravo#English"
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        "Strong in the face of fear; courageous.",
        "Having any sort of superiority or excellence.",
        "Making a fine show or display.",
        "Foolish or unwise."
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        "UK",
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        "A man daring beyond discretion; a bully.",
        "A challenge; a defiance; bravado."
      ],
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        "dated",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To encounter or withstand with courage and fortitude, to defy, to provoke. · To adorn; to make fine or showy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle French braver, from brave.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionbraverfrm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "brave",
      "brave#Middle_French"
    ]
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
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        "To encounter or withstand with courage and fortitude, to defy, to provoke.",
        "To adorn; to make fine or showy."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for brave →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YnJhdmU