Bravery, courage, heroism, and intrepidity may be silent, spiritual, or passive; they may be exhibited by a martyr at the stake. Prowess and valor imply both daring and doing; we do not speak of the prowess of a martyr, a child, or a passive sufferer. Valor meets odds or perils with courageous action, doing its utmost to conquer at any risk or cost; prowess has power adapted to the need; dauntless valor is often vain against superior prowess. Courage is a nobler word than bravery, involving more of the deep, spiritual, and enduring elements of character; such an appreciation of peril as would extinguish bravery may only intensify courage, which is resistant and self-conquering; courage applies to matters in regard to which valor and prowess can have no place, as submission to a surgical operation, or the facing of censure or detraction for conscience' sake. Compare [BRAVE]; [FORTITUDE].
Antonyms:
| cowardice, | cowardliness, | effeminacy, | fear, | pusillanimity, | timidity. |
PRUDENCE.
Synonyms:
| care, | discretion, | judgment, |
| carefulness, | forecast, | judiciousness, |
| caution, | foresight, | providence, |
| circumspection, | forethought, | wisdom. |
| consideration, | frugality, |
Prudence may be briefly defined as good judgment and foresight,[295] inclining to caution and frugality in practical affairs. Care may respect only the present; prudence and providence look far ahead and sacrifice the present to the future, prudence watching, saving, guarding, providence planning, doing, preparing, and perhaps expending largely to meet the future demand. Frugality is in many cases one form of prudence. In a besieged city prudence will reduce the rations, providence will strain every nerve to introduce supplies and to raise the siege. Foresight merely sees the future, and may even lead to the recklessness and desperation to which prudence and providence are so strongly opposed. Forethought is thinking in accordance with wise views of the future, and is nearly equivalent to providence, but it is a more popular and less comprehensive term; we speak of man's forethought, God's providence. Compare [CARE]; [FRUGALITY]; [WISDOM].
Antonyms:
| folly, | improvidence, | indiscretion, | rashness, | thoughtlessness, |
| heedlessness, | imprudence, | prodigality, | recklessness, | wastefulness. |