Cowardice is a trait wherein fear and excess self-concern override doing or saying what is right, good and of help to others or oneself in a time of need—it is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge.Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in combat is a crime punishable by death (e.g. shot at dawn).As a retraction of a virtue that may be or have been required in many cultures, it is often considered to be a character flaw which may be variously stigmatized or punished.