virtue
Pluralvirtues (some meanings)
- 1Behavior and thinking that follow what is morally right and good.
Like always choosing to do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
She is known for her virtue and kindness toward strangers.
Living with virtue means doing what is right even when it is hard.
Similargoodness, morality, integrity, righteousness, decency
Oppositevice, wickedness, immorality, sin
- 2A good quality in someone's character that leads them to do good things.
Like a good habit that becomes part of who you are.
Patience is a virtue worth developing early in life.
She admires courage as the highest virtue a person can have.
Similarquality, strength, merit
Oppositevice, failing, fault, weakness
Note
- 3A good point or advantage about something that makes it useful or better.
Like the best feature of a tool that makes it worth buying.
One virtue of this design is its very low cost.
The plan's main virtue is how simple it is to follow.
Similaradvantage, merit, strength, benefit, asset
Oppositedrawback, disadvantage, flaw, weakness
Note
- 4One of the most important good qualities, such as courage, justice, or faith.
Like the most important items on a list of how to be good.
Justice is one virtue that ancient thinkers placed above the rest.
The seven virtues each stand against one of the deadly sins.
Oppositevice
- 5A clear example of good moral behavior shown by a person.
Like one good deed that shows the goodness inside a person.
Her patience with the frightened children was a virtue everyone noticed.
Forgiving the man who wronged him was an act of real virtue.
- 6The idea of everything good in a person, made up of many good qualities.
Like a full picture made from many small good pieces put together.
Philosophers have long argued about what true virtue really is.
She believed that virtue was something anyone could learn.
Similargoodness, morality, righteousness
Oppositevice, evil, wickedness
Note
- 7The natural power of something to have an effect, used now only in set phrases.
People once believed in the healing virtue of certain wild plants.
The old remedy was said to have great virtue against fevers.
Similarpower, efficacy, potency, effectiveness
Note
- 8
- 9A kind of heavenly being, ranked higher than angels but lower than the top angels.
Like a rank of soldiers in heaven, above some and below others.
In old paintings, a virtue is shown among the ranks of heaven.
The choir of virtues was said to carry out God's will.
Note
Less common meaning
- 10The natural power that a god or other magical being was believed to have.
Like the magic power people believed a god could hold.
The old stories told of the great virtue flowing from the river god.
They prayed that the goddess's virtue would protect the harvest.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of virtue apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Latin virtus, meaning bravery and moral goodness, which came from vir, meaning 'man'. It reached English through Anglo-Norman vertu.