Bold willingness to take risks or the quality of being fearlessly daring; can also refer to rude or disrespectful boldness that shows a lack of proper respect.
From Latin 'audacia,' derived from 'audax' (bold), which comes from 'audere' (to dare). The word entered English in the 15th century, carrying both positive connotations of courage and negative ones of impudence.
Audacity can be heroic or horrifying—it's all about context! Think of it as 'audio-city'—someone with audacity speaks up boldly when others stay silent. The key insight is that audacity always involves taking risks that others wouldn't dare take.
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