virtue
/ˈvɝt͡ʃu/ noun, proper noun
Forms virtues vertu vertuu vertue
- noun (uncountable, conceptually) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the enumeration of which vary by the many virtue systems which have developed within different cultures, religions, and historical periods.
- noun (uncountable) Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct. “Without virtue, there is no freedom.”
- noun (countable) An attribute of a personality (a "personality trait") which predisposes a person to behaviors resulting in human goodness; an admirable quality. “The commission of acts by a person which he or she believes to be wrong can cause a diminishment of one or more of the virtues which subsist in the person's personality; in this way such actions may be viewed as significant life events.”
- noun A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person.
- noun Specifically, each of several qualities held to be particularly important, including the four cardinal virtues, the three theological virtues, or the seven virtues opposed to the seven deadly sins. “Better to be excluded from society than to deny the virtue of citizenship.”
- noun An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
- noun (Christianity) A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and archangels, and below seraphim and cherubim.
- noun (uncountable) Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
douth thew goodness virtuousness moral excellence merit chastity sexual morality
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English vertu, virtue, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertu, virtu, from Latin virtus (“manliness, bravery, worth, moral excellence”), from vir (“man”). Doublet of vertu. See virile. In this sense, displaced Old English cræft, whence Modern English craft.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Manly strength or courage; bravery; daring; spirit; valor. [Obs.]
- noun Active quality or power; capacity or power adequate to the production of a given effect; energy; strength; potency; efficacy; as, the virtue of a medicine.
Etymology [OE. vertu, F. vertu, L. virtus strength, courage, excellence, virtue, fr. vir a man. See Virile, and cf. Virtu.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “virtue”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details