Virtue
'vɜːtʃuː
Definitions
3 meaningsMoral excellence; a commendable quality or trait; conformity to a standard of right; a specific type of moral excellence.
'vɜːtʃuː
Moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
Her greatest virtue was her unwavering honesty.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend always helping others, never lying, and standing up for what's right. That's a great example of virtue! It's like having all the best, most helpful, and kind character traits rolled into one.
👶 For kids: Being a really good person! Like, always being kind and helpful.
More Examples
The knight was celebrated for his courage and other virtues.
The program promotes the virtues of hard work and perseverance.
How It's Used
"The ancient philosophers emphasized the importance of cultivating virtues such as justice and temperance."
"In the novel, the protagonist's virtue is tested by difficult circumstances."
A particular moral excellence; a specific good quality.
'vɜːtʃuː
A particular moral excellence.
Patience is often considered a great virtue in difficult times.
💡 Simply: Imagine different flavors of ice cream, like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Each flavor is a different type of virtue: courage, honesty, kindness, and so on.
👶 For kids: A special kind of goodness.
More Examples
The virtue of prudence helped him make wise decisions.
She possessed the virtue of compassion, always helping those in need.
How It's Used
"Faith, hope, and charity are considered theological virtues."
Power or efficacy; active quality or force, especially in a supernatural or medicinal context.
'vɜːtʃuː
Power or efficacy; active quality or force.
In the old stories, magic herbs had the virtue to cure any disease.
💡 Simply: Imagine a magic potion that has the power to make you feel better. In older times, people might have called that potion's power its 'virtue'.
👶 For kids: A special power that helps you do something.
More Examples
The king believed in the virtue of his crown.
The amulet was believed to possess the virtue of protecting the wearer.
How It's Used
"Traditional medicine claimed to harness the virtue of herbs to heal ailments."
Synonyms
Chastity
Decency
Excellence
Goodness
Integrity
Morality
Righteousness
Characteristic
Merit
Quality
Strength
Efficacy
Force
Potency
Power
Idioms & expressions
by virtue of
Because of; on account of; by reason of.
"He was promoted by virtue of his seniority."
From Middle English 'virtue', from Old French 'virtu', from Latin 'virtus', meaning 'manliness', 'excellence', 'strength', 'valor'. It evolved to encompass moral excellence and other positive qualities.
In older literature, 'virtue' could also refer to a man's strength or valor. This meaning is now largely archaic.
Memory tip
Think of 'virtue' as the good stuff inside you, like honesty and kindness.