Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted: a valiant soldier.
- marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic: to make a valiant effort.
- worthy; excellent.
adjective
- courageous, intrepid, or stout-hearted; brave
- marked by bravery or couragea valiant deed
early 14c. (late 12c. in surnames), from Anglo-French and Old French valliant “stalwart, brave,” from present participle of valoir “be worthy,” originally “be strong,” from Latin valere “be strong, be well, be worth, have power, be able,” from PIE root *wal- “be strong” (cf. Old English wealdan “to rule,” Old High German -walt, -wald “power” (in personal names), Old Norse valdr “ruler,” Old Church Slavonic vlasti “to rule over,” Lithuanian valdyti “to have power,” Celtic *walos- “ruler,” Old Irish flaith “dominion,” Welsh gallu “to be able”). Related: Valiantly.