What is the Difference Between Bravery and Courage and How did the Words Originate?

Both bravery and courage are acts of valour and imply a certain strength and fearlessness.

What is the Difference Between Bravery and Courage and How did the Words Originate?

There is, however, a subtle difference in meaning between the two words.

Courage comes from the French word coeur, meaning heart.

It is a quality of character that allows someone to carry through with a difficult premeditated plan of action.

“Physical courage” is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or death, while “moral courage” is the ability to act justly in the face of opposition, shame, or scandal.

Bravery, on the other hand, comes from the Spanish word bravado, meaning a single or spontaneous act of valour.

It is not planned, but rather a knee-jerk reaction that often occurs within a crisis.