virtue

[ vur-choo ]

/ ˈvɜr tʃu /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR virtue ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.

conformity of one's life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude.

chastity; virginity: to lose one's virtue.

a particular moral excellence. Compare cardinal virtues, natural virtue, theological virtue.

a good or admirable quality or property: the virtue of knowing one's weaknesses.

effective force; power or potency: a charm with the virtue of removing warts.

virtues, an order of angels. Compare angel(def 1).

manly excellence; valor.

Idioms for virtue

by/in virtue of, by reason of; because of: to act by virtue of one's legitimate authority.

make a virtue of necessity, to make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.

Origin of virtue

1175–1225; alteration (with i < Latin) of Middle English vertu < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin virtūt- (stem of virtūs) maleness, worth, virtue, equivalent to vir man (see virile) + -tūt- abstract noun suffix

SYNONYMS FOR virtue

1 See goodness.

2 probity, integrity.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR virtue ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR virtue

1 vice.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR virtue ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM virtue

vir·tue·less, adjective vir·tue·less·ness, noun non·vir·tue, noun

Words nearby virtue

virtual reality, virtual storage, virtuality, virtualize, virtually, virtue, virtue signaling, virtues, virtuosa, virtuosity, virtuoso

Example sentences from the Web for virtues

Petty, shade, and thirst are my favorite human “virtues” and the trifecta of any good series of “stories.”

‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist |Judnick Mayard |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
In letters to Theo, Vincent would preach to younger brother the virtues of life.

Decoding Vincent Van Gogh’s Tempestuous, Fragile Mind |Nick Mafi |December 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I would just like to see more of a mix, because they both have virtues.

James Patterson Goes Full ‘Fahrenheit 451’ With Burning Book Video |William O’Connor |November 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And the people themselves can do it, abdicating the virtues and responsibilities of citizenship.

Valerie Jarrett, Obama Consigliere—and Democracy Killer |James Poulos |November 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

He would, I thought, be a perfect spokesmen for the virtues of the craft.

Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists |P. J. O’Rourke |October 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Even the virtuous fall sometimes to variance, when their virtues are of different kinds and tending to extremes.

Rasselas |Samuel Johnson
She is so sweet, too; and sweetness in a woman is worth all the virtues put together, don't you agree with me?

The Making of a Prig |Evelyn Sharp
The virtues of woman are these: chastity, regard for her own honour, and a modest manner of life.

The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegel in the land of Flanders and elsewhere |Charles de Coster
It cannot be that the Creator is inferior to the creature in virtues which the creature derives from Him alone.

Old-Fashioned Ethics and Common-Sense Metaphysics |William Thomas Thornton
In many respects the virtues of the Bodhisattva are those of the Arhat.

Hinduism And Buddhism, Volume II. (of 3) |Charles Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (1 of 2)

virtues

/ (ˈvɜːtjuːz, -tʃuːz) /

pl n

(often capital) the fifth of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (2 of 2)

virtue

/ (ˈvɜːtjuː, -tʃuː) /

noun

the quality or practice of moral excellence or righteousness

a particular moral excellence the virtue of tolerance

any of the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) or theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity)

any admirable quality, feature, or trait

chastity, esp in women

archaic an effective, active, or inherent power or force

by virtue of or in virtue of on account of or by reason of

make a virtue of necessity to acquiesce in doing something unpleasant with a show of grace because one must do it in any case

Derived forms of virtue

virtueless, adjective

Word Origin for virtue

C13: vertu, from Old French, from Latin virtūs manliness, courage, from vir man

Idioms and Phrases with virtues

virtue

see by virtue of; make a virtue of necessity.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

virtue

noun

Idioms for virtue

Origin of virtue

SYNONYMS FOR virtue

ANTONYMS FOR virtue

OTHER WORDS FROM virtue

Words nearby virtue

Example sentences from the Web for virtues

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (1 of 2)

pl n

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of virtue

Word Origin for virtue

Idioms and Phrases with virtues

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

virtue

noun

Idioms for virtue

Origin of virtue

SYNONYMS FOR virtue

ANTONYMS FOR virtue

OTHER WORDS FROM virtue

Words nearby virtue

Words related to virtues

Example sentences from the Web for virtues

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pl n

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (2 of 2)

noun

Derived forms of virtue

Word Origin for virtue

Idioms and Phrases with virtues

British Dictionary definitions for virtues (1 of 2)