Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - audacious

 adjective  Etymology: Middle French audacieux, from audace boldness, from Latin audacia, from audac-, audax bold, from audere to dare, from avidus eager — more at avid  Date: 1550  1.  a. intrepidly daring ; adventurous an ~ mountain climber  b. recklessly bold ; rash an ~ maneuver  2. contemptuous of law, religion, or decorum ; insolent  3. marked by originality and verve ~ experiments  • ~ly adverb  • ~ness noun