Heroism

How to spell heroism

7 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce heroism

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does heroism mean?

1. nounGreat courage or noble conduct, especially in the face of danger.

Heroism in a sentence

• The firefighter was awarded a medal for her heroism during the blaze.

• The memorial honours the quiet heroism of ordinary soldiers.

Where does heroism come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek hērōs, which described a brave warrior or a demigod, a figure of more than ordinary courage who was often honoured after death. Latin took it in as heros, and from there it passed into French, where héros gained the abstract noun héroïsme to name the quality of acting like a hero. English adopted heroism from that French form in the seventeenth century, keeping the sense of conspicuous bravery and noble self-sacrifice. The spelling trap sits in the middle: the base 'hero' ends in an o, and the suffix simply attaches to give 'hero' plus 'ism', so writers must resist inserting an extra letter or doubling anything. It shares its root with 'heroine' and 'heroic', all of which preserve that same hero core.

How the word is built

• hero (from Greek hērōs: protector, warrior)
• -ism (noun suffix denoting a quality or conduct)