virtue

[vur-choo]

noun

1. moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.

   Antonyms: vice

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

   Synonyms: integrity, probity

3. chastity; virginity.

   to lose one's virtue.

4. a particular moral excellence.

5. a good or admirable quality or property.

   the virtue of knowing one's weaknesses.

6. effective force; power or potency.

   a charm with the virtue of removing warts.

7. virtues, an order of angels.

8. manly excellence; valor.

virtue

/ -tʃuː, ˈvɜːtjuː /

noun

1. the quality or practice of moral excellence or righteousness

2. a particular moral excellence

   the virtue of tolerance

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

4. any admirable quality, feature, or trait

5. chastity, esp in women

6. archaic,  an effective, active, or inherent power or force

7. on account of or by reason of

8. to acquiesce in doing something unpleasant with a show of grace because one must do it in any case

Other Word Forms

• virtueless adjective
• virtuelessness noun
• nonvirtue noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of virtue¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; alteration (with i from Latin ) of Middle English vertu, from Anglo-French, Old French from Latin virtūt-, stem of virtūs “maleness, worth, virtue,” equivalent to vir “man” + -tūs, abstract noun suffix; virile

Word History and Origins

Origin of virtue¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

2. by / in virtue of, by reason of; because of.

   to act by virtue of one's legitimate authority.

see by virtue of; make a virtue of necessity.

Synonym Study

See goodness.

Example Sentences

Amazingly, their division lead has still grown from two to 2½ games since Monday, by virtue of the Padres losing three games to the Dodgers’ two.

From Los Angeles Times

Active Club members view themselves as defenders of Western civilization and masculine virtue.

From Salon

Her greatest virtue is that she briefs infrequently.

From Salon

Here’s what history tells us about the virtues of this idea for the United States: There aren’t any.

From Los Angeles Times

But she will never, ever turn her back on Daddy, because another of Mommy’s feminine virtues is her submission and loyalty.

From Salon

Related Words

• advantage 
• character 
• ethic 
• excellence 
• faith 
• generosity 
• goodness 
• ideal 
• kindness 
• love 
• merit 
• morality 
• purity 
• quality 
• rectitude 
• righteousness 
• value