: strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness : personal bravery
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When Should You Use valor?
Valor in uniform is still rewarded by medals. Many American civic organizations award a Medal of Valor for physical courage, and the Air Force Medal of Honor displays the single word "Valor". The somewhat old-fashioned adjective valorous more often describes warriors of the past. But valiant is still in common use, though it less often describes military courage than other kinds of bravery or effort.
Examples of valor in a Sentence
The soldiers received the nation's highest award for valor. the absence of indecision even in the face of death is the true mark of valor
Recent Examples on the Web
Staff Sergeant Gregory Foster was a Green Beret deployed to Afghanistan when he was injured in an ambush in 2011 and was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with valor for bravery. —
Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 Jame, Jamie, Jaimee Evelyn Throughout the centuries, there have been many outstanding Evelyns, but Evelyn Waugh, an author who fought with valor in World War Two, also penned numerous novels about the disillusionment of war. —Taylor Grothe, Parents, 10 Apr. 2026 Inflamed by Ratansen’s adviser’s account of Padmavati’s beauty, Alauddin Khalji storms the fortress by treachery rather than valor. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026 The agency seems well worth preserving in the current cultural spiral—rife with so much blowhard false valor that grappling with cage fighters is regarded as training. —Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for valor
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 Jame, Jamie, Jaimee Evelyn Throughout the centuries, there have been many outstanding Evelyns, but Evelyn Waugh, an author who fought with valor in World War Two, also penned numerous novels about the disillusionment of war. —Taylor Grothe, Parents, 10 Apr. 2026 Inflamed by Ratansen’s adviser’s account of Padmavati’s beauty, Alauddin Khalji storms the fortress by treachery rather than valor. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026 The agency seems well worth preserving in the current cultural spiral—rife with so much blowhard false valor that grappling with cage fighters is regarded as training. —Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for valor
Cite this Entry
“Valor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/valor. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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valor
noun
val·or ˈval-ər 
: personal bravery in the face of danger
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