virtuous
UK /ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəs/ · US /ˈvɝt͡ʃuəs/ adjective
Forms vertuous vertuus virtuose virtù-ous
- adjective Full of virtue; having excellent moral character. “Successful communities need strong, selfless leaders and a virtuous people.”
- adjective Involving the cleverness and understanding to accomplish one's goals.
Synonyms
good righteous virtual chaste continent correct upstanding delicate decent decorous desertful deserving dutiful duteous honest innocent meritorious modest moral noble pure vestal virgin virginal
Antonyms
bad dishonest immodest immoral incontinent indecent obscene reprehensible risque shameless unchaste wicked
Etymology
From Middle English vertuous, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertuous, vertous, ultimately from Late Latin virtuōsus, from Latin virtūs. By surface analysis, virtue + -ous. Doublet of virtuoso and piecewise doublet of virtùous.
From Italian virtù + ous, after virtuous, a piecewise doublet.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: -- (a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave.
- adjective Chaste; pure; --applied especially to women.
Etymology [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “virtuous”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details