virtue
noun
Simple meaning
Accordance with moral principles.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
vurchooSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈvɝtʃu
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
uncountable
Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
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.
countable
An attribute of a personality (a "personality trait") which predisposes a person to behaviors resulting in human goodness; an admirable quality.
uncountable
Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person.
An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
Used this way, virtue is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It turns up most in ethics or values contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Honest and open
- Usage feel
- Precise and approving
Where it naturally appears
- Ethics/values
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use virtue
- “Patience is considered a great virtue in many cultures.”
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
In essence or effect but not in fact.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
One of the seven preeminent virtues.
One of the four virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) derived from nature.
According to Christian ethics: one of the three virtues (faith, hope, and charity) created by God to round out the natural virtues.
According to Christian ethics: one of the three virtues (faith, hope, and charity) created by God to round out the natural virtues.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “virtue” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.