Definition of cowardice
: lack of courage or firmness of purpose soldiers accused of cowardice
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Examples of cowardice in a Sentence
the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted
Recent Examples of cowardice from the Web
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The presence of black soldiers on the field of battle shattered every myth the South’s slave empire was built on: The happy docility of slaves, their intellectual inferiority, their cowardice, their inability to compete with whites.
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The NAACP’s stance against charter schools and the right to school choice for millions of poor black parents starkly symbolizes how black political influence is too often black political cowardice and hypocrisy.
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Museum founding Director Lonnie Bunch III says in an email that the noose represents an act of cowardice and depravity.
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The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity — a symbol of extreme violence for African Americans.
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Perhaps an even more significant divergence is that the fictional businessman is soon undone by his own cowardice, with no action by the bohemians or aristocrats required.
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Paranoia, cruelty and cowardice are the rule, practically without exception.
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At a crucial moment (and with exquisite timing), his grandmother puts on a big show of submissiveness and ingratiation—not an act of cowardice but of bravery—that proves successful.
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For all the talk of the president's fecklessness from the chickenhawk choir, what those candidates are about right now is the worst kind of cowardice.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cowardice'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cowardice
Middle English cowardise, from Anglo-French coardise, from cuard —see coward
First Known Use: 14th century
COWARDICE Defined for English Language Learners
cowardice
playDefinition of cowardice for English Language Learners
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: fear that makes you unable to do what is right or expected : lack of courage
COWARDICE Defined for Kids
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cowardice Spanish Central: Translation of cowardice Nglish: Translation of cowardice for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cowardice for Arabic speakers
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