audacity
bold or daring confidence
Root
- aud / audere: dare or be bold
Other words with the aud / audere root
- audacious: bold or daring
- audaciously: in a bold or daring way
Aud / audere gives dare. Audacity is daring with the volume turned up.
It took audacity to challenge the committee in public and then defend every claim.
Audacity can be admirable or outrageous. The core is daring: someone crosses a line that most people would only stare at from a safe distance.