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 from Latin ) of Middle English vertu from Anglo-French, Old French from Latin virtūt- (stem of virtūs ) “maleness, worth, virtue,” equivalent to vir “man” (see virile) + -tūt- abstract noun suffix
Mulan is the story of 1,500 years of shifting ideas about gender and virtue.
The history of Mulan, from a 6th-century ballad to the live-action Disney movie|Constance Grady|September 4, 2020|Vox
They also found, by analyzing speeches from Senate floor proceedings coded for virtue and vice signals,6 that United States senators were higher in the Dark Triad than the general population—which makes sense, given how competitive politics can be.
Are You Yoda or Darth Vader? - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Brian Gallagher|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
Now, declared covid vulnerable by virtue of age, I was not just alone but afraid.
That chatbot I’ve loved to hate|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
I’ve spent a good bit of my career arguing for the virtues of solitude.
That chatbot I’ve loved to hate|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Interestingly enough, by virtue of this very unobtrusive nature of the Pilos helmet, it was also used by lighter troops, such as the archers employed by Athens.
Know Your Ancient Greek Helmets: From Attic to Phrygian|Dattatreya Mandal|May 19, 2020|Realm of History
By virtue of being readers we are also writers, I now believe, but that was not always the case.
Book Bag: Overlooked Classic Books From the Sunshine State|Randy Wayne White|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the military can mitigate the risks simply by virtue of its enormous logistical reach.
The Military’s Mission to Fight Ebola Might Be Dangerous But it Won’t Be Black Hawk Down|Nathan Bradley Bethea|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Paragon of virtue Oliver North called for charges to be filed against Warner Brothers Music.
A Brief History of the Phrase 'F*ck the Police'|Rich Goldstein|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He saw no virtue in stubbornness, and he could never have taken pleasure in the refusal to act on something.
Washington Is Sorely Missing the Legislative Genius of Howard Baker|James Andrew Miller|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Claiming that moderation in a time of such crisis is no virtue,” the martyr of American Russian studies declared.
Meet the Anti-Semites, Truthers, and Alaska Pol at D.C.’s Pro-Putin Soiree|James Kirchick|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There's no virtue in riding behind a donkey if you can own a carriage.
The Root of Evil|Thomas Dixon
When virtue imbues the one, health and strength appear to wait on the other.
The Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan, the Wickedest Man in the World|Benedict Hogan
Patience is no virtue of mine, and so far from appearing disposed to amend them, you daily multiply your errors.
Memoirs of the Dukes of Urbino, Volume I (of 3)|James Dennistoun
Virtue indeed he regarded simply as a trick by which clever hypocrites imposed upon fools.
History of the English People, Volume VI (of 8)|John Richard Green
The men, by virtue of working in the open air, worry through with it better.
Ginger-Snaps|Fanny Fern
British Dictionary definitions for virtue
virtue
/ (ˈvɜːtjuː, -tʃuː) /
noun
the quality or practice of moral excellence or righteousness
a particular moral excellencethe 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
archaican effective, active, or inherent power or force
by virtue oforin virtue ofon account of or by reason of
make a virtue of necessityto 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