vaillance

valiance, bravery

noun vah-YAHNS Rare

Origin: Old French vaillance, from vaillant (valiant), from Latin valere (to be strong)

Usage Note

Vaillance conveys both courage in battle and steadfast moral fortitude in everyday hardship. It is more literary than courage or bravoure and often appears in historical or formal writing. The related adjective vaillant (valiant, plucky) survives in the proverb à coeur vaillant rien d'impossible (nothing is impossible to a brave heart).

Examples

"Sa vaillance sur le champ de bataille fut récompensée."

Natural Translation

His valiance on the battlefield was rewarded.

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