BOLDNESS, noun Courage; bravery; intrepidity; spirit; fearlessness. I cannot, with Johnson, interpret this word by fortitude or magnanimity. boldness does not, I think, imply the firmness of mind, which constitutes fortitude, nor the elevation and generosity of magnanimity. 1. Prominence; the quality of exceeding the ordinary rules of scrupulous nicety and caution; applied to style, expression, and metaphors in language; and to figures in painting, sculpture and architecture. 2. Freedom from timidity; liberty. Great is my boldness of speech towards you. 2 Corinthians 7:4. 3. Confidence; confident trust. We have boldness and access with confidence. Ephesians 3:12. 4. Freedom from bashfulness; assurance; confident mien. 5. Prominence; steepness; as the boldness of the shore. 6. Excess of freedom, bordering on impudence.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI