Zivilcourage
civic courage, courage of one's convictions
noun tsi-vil-koo-RAH-zhe Rare
Origin: from French courage
Usage Note
Zivilcourage means the courage to intervene or speak up in everyday life — against injustice, bullying, or wrongdoing — without institutional authority. It is actively promoted in German civic education and anti-discrimination campaigns.
Examples
"Er bewies Zivilcourage, als er die Belästigung im Bus öffentlich ansprach."
Natural Translation
He showed civic courage when he publicly addressed the harassment on the bus.
Literal Translation
He proved civic-courage, when he the harassment in-the bus publicly addressed.
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