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au·da·cious

(ô-dāshəs)

adj.

1. Fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold. See Synonyms at adventurous, brave.

2. Unrestrained by convention or propriety; brazen or insolent: audacious rudeness.

3. Spirited and original: an audacious interpretation of two Jacobean dramas.

[French audacieux, from Old French audace, boldness, from Latin audācia, from audāx, audāc-, bold, from audēre, to dare, from avidus, avid; see AVID.]

au·dacious·ly adv.

au·dacious·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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