fearless
Meaning
lacking fear; brave
Structure
Usage
the firefighters made a fearless entry into the burning building.
she is a fearless advocate for human rights.
his fearless approach to innovation revolutionized the industry.
Etymology
the word fearless is a transparent english compound built from native germanic elements. the root fear originates from old english fær, meaning "calamity, sudden danger," which evolved to signify the emotion associated with such peril. the suffix less comes from old english leas, meaning "devoid of." the compound thus literally means "devoid of fear," a logical and direct formation that has retained its core meaning from old english to modern usage, exemplifying the germanic tendency for creating descriptive adjectives through suffixation.
Analysis
fear (old english, noun/verb root meaning "danger, peril, sudden calamity") + less (old english, adjective-forming suffix meaning "devoid of, free from")