noun
heroism; loyalty and courage; public-spirited bravery
A formal noun for courage motivated by duty, righteousness, or loyalty to a public cause. It is not the everyday word for personal courage; 勇気 is more common in ordinary speech.
彼らの義勇の精神は今も語り継がれている。
Their spirit of heroic loyalty and courage is still passed down today.
各地から義勇の士が集まった。
Men of heroic courage gathered from many regions.
Refers to a chivalrous or gallant spirit of helping the weak; 義勇 is broader and more associated with heroic public-spirited courage.
A Sino-Japanese compound combining 義, associated with righteousness, duty, or loyalty, and 勇, associated with courage or valor. This component explanation reflects the conventional meaning of the spelling rather than a detailed historical derivation.