Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “audacity” come from?

Audacity comes from Middle English audacite, from Medieval Latin audacitas, from Latin audax meaning bold, derived from Proto-Italic awidēō and awidos.

audacity (English): Insolent boldness, especially when imprudent or...

Definitions

  1. Insolent boldness, especially when imprudent or...

Ancestry of “audacity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaudacite—
2Medieval Latinaudacitas—
3Latinaudāx—
4Latin-āx—
5Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
6Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
7Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
8Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “audacity”

  • inaudacity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →