Virtue

/ˈvɜːr.tʃu/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A behavior showing high moral standards.

Honesty is considered a virtue in many cultures.

A quality regarded as morally good or desirable in a person.

Her kindness and compassion are virtues that everyone admires.

A good or useful quality of a thing.

The virtue of this plan is its simplicity.

Chastity, especially in a woman.

In her time, a woman's virtue was highly valued.

From Old French 'virtue', from Latin 'virtus', meaning 'manliness, bravery, worth, moral excellence'.

virtue signaling

The act of demonstrating one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue.

by virtue of

By reason of; due to.

a woman of virtue

A woman who is considered to have high moral standards.

virtuous

Having or showing high moral standards.

virtuousness

The quality of having moral virtue.

virtuosity

Great skill in music or some other artistic pursuit.

Virtue is used ironically to refer to overly moralistic behavior.

Don't go all virtue on me just because you read one self-help book.

Feeling virtuous for doing something good, sometimes used sarcastically.

I recycled my cans today, so I feel virtuous now.