unvaliant

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ valiant.

Adjective

unvaliant (comparative more unvaliant, superlative most unvaliant)

1. Not valiant.
   • 1669, James Stewart, Jus Populi Vindicatum, or the People's Right, to defend themselves and their Covenanted Religion, vindicated:

     […] and an unvaliant, impudent, affronted pleading for untruth, tyranny and wickednesse, which is neither a product of prudence, nor magnanimity.

   • 1777, Joseph Strutt, The Chronicle of England, volume 1:

     […] and none but such as were unvaliant and despicable would long continue without the privilege of cutting their hair, after they had attained to years of maturity.

   • 1898, David Christie Murray, This Little World: A Novel, page 67:

     Even the unvaliant James would have dared to tackle him single-handed; but he represented the unknown and terrible majesty of the law.

   • 1998, Alex Kotlowitz, The Other Side of the River, page 138:

     To those in the law enforcement community, the tape captured what they already believed: Marschke was weak-kneed or, at least, unvaliant.

Derived terms

• unvaliantly