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virtue

   Also found in: Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
vir·tue  (vûrch)
n.
1.
a. Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness.
b. An example or kind of moral excellence: the virtue of patience.
2. Chastity, especially in a woman.
3. A particularly efficacious, good, or beneficial quality; advantage: a plan with the virtue of being practical.
4. Effective force or power: believed in the virtue of prayer.
5. virtues Christianity The fifth of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology.
6. Obsolete Manly courage; valor.
Idiom:
by/in virtue of
On the grounds or basis of; by reason of: well-off by virtue of a large inheritance.

[Middle English vertu, from Old French, from Latin virts, manliness, excellence, goodness, from vir, man; see w-ro- in Indo-European roots.]

virtue [ˈvɜːtjuː -tʃuː]
n
1. the quality or practice of moral excellence or righteousness
2. a particular moral excellence the virtue of tolerance
3. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) any of the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) or theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity)
4. any admirable quality, feature, or trait
5. chastity, esp in women
6. Archaic an effective, active, or inherent power or force
by or in virtue of on account of or by reason of
make a virtue of necessity to acquiesce in doing something unpleasant with a show of grace because one must do it in any case
[C13 vertu, from Old French, from Latin virtūs manliness, courage, from vir man]
virtueless  adj
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.virtuevirtue - the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
good, goodness - moral excellence or admirableness; "there is much good to be found in people"
2.virtuevirtue - any admirable quality or attribute; "work of great merit"
worth - the quality that renders something desirable or valuable or useful
3.virtuevirtue - morality with respect to sexual relations
morality - concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct
pureness, purity, honor, honour - a woman's virtue or chastity
4.virtuevirtue - a particular moral excellence        
cardinal virtue - one of the seven preeminent virtues
good, goodness - moral excellence or admirableness; "there is much good to be found in people"

virtue
noun
2. merit, strength, asset, plus (informal), attribute, good quality, good point, strong point His chief virtue is patience.
merit failing, drawback, shortcoming, frailty, weak point
3. advantage, benefit, merit, credit, usefulness, efficacy There is no virtue in overexercising.
4. chastity, honour, virginity, innocence, purity, maidenhood, chasteness His many attempts on her virtue were all unavailing.
chastity promiscuity, unchastity
by virtue of because of, in view of, on account of, based on, thanks to, as a result of, owing to, by reason of, by dint of Mr Olaechea has British residency by virtue of his marriage.
Quotations
"Virtue is the fount whence honour springs" [Christopher Marlowe Tamburlaine the Great]
"Virtue is its own reward" [Cicero De Finibus]
"Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set" [Francis Bacon Essays]
"For 'tis some virtue, virtue to commend" [William Congreve]
"Virtue could see to do what Virtue would"
"By her own radiant light, though sun and moon"
"Were in the flat sea sunk" [John Milton Comus]
"Against the threats"
"Of malice or of sorcery, or that power"
"Which erring men call chance, this I hold firm,"
"Virtue may be assailed, but never hurt,"
"Surprised by unjust force, but not enthralled" [John Milton Comus]
"It is queer how it is always one's virtues and not one's vices that precipitate one into disaster" [Rebecca West There Is No Conversation]
"The weakest of all weak things is a virtue which has not been tested in the fire" [Mark Twain The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg]
Translations
virtue [ˈvɜːtjuː] N
1. (= good quality) → virtud f
to extol sb's virtuesalabar or ensalzar las virtudes de algn
to make a virtue of necessityhacer de la necesidad virtud
2. (= advantage) → virtud f, ventaja f
it has the virtue of simplicity or of being simpletiene la virtud or ventaja de ser sencillo
I see no virtue in (doing) thatno veo ninguna ventaja en(hacer)eso
3. (= chastity) → castidad f, honra f
her virtue was in no dangersu castidad or honra no corría peligro
he had designs on her virtueiba a tratar de seducirla
a woman of easy virtueuna mujer de vida alegre, una mujer de moralidad laxa
4. by virtue of; in virtue ofen virtud de, debido a

virtue [ˈvɜːrtʃuː ˈvɜːrtjuː] n
(= goodness) → vertu f
(= good quality) → vertu f
Humility is considered a virtue → L'humilité est considérée comme une vertu.
(= advantage) → vertu f
by virtue of sth → en vertu de qch

virtue
n
(= moral quality)Tugend f; to make a virtue of necessityaus der Not eine Tugend machen; a life of virtueein tugendhaftes Leben
(= chastity)Keuschheit f, → Tugendhaftigkeit f; a woman of easy virtue (euph)ein leichtes Mädchen
(= advantage, point)Vorteil m; what’s the virtue of that?welchen Vorteil hat das?, wozu ist das gut?; there is no virtue in doing thates scheint nicht sehr zweckmäßig, das zu tun
(= healing power)Heilkraft f; in or by virtue ofaufgrund or auf Grund (+gen); in or by virtue of the authority/power etc vested in mekraft meiner Autorität/Macht etc (form)

virtue [ˈvɜːtjuː] n (goodness) → virtù f inv; (advantage) → pregio, vantaggio
it has the virtue of simplicity or of being simple → ha il pregio di essere semplice
I see no virtue in doing that → non vedo nessun vantaggio nel farlo
to make a virtue of necessity → fare di necessità virtù
by virtue of → in virtù di, grazie a
virtue [ˈvɜːtjuː] n (goodness) → virtù f inv; (advantage) → pregio, vantaggio
it has the virtue of simplicity or of being simple → ha il pregio di essere semplice
I see no virtue in doing that → non vedo nessun vantaggio nel farlo
to make a virtue of necessity → fare di necessità virtù
by virtue of → in virtù di, grazie a

virtue
n virtue [ˈvəːtʃuː]
1 a good moral quality Honesty is a virtue. deug فَضيلَه добродретел ctnost dyd die Tugend προτέρημα, αρετή virtud voorus فضیلت hyve vertu הִתנַהֲגוּת מוּסָרִית नैतिक गुण vrlina erény kebajikan dyggð virtù 美徳 미덕 dorybė tikums sifat baik deugd dyd cnota virtute добродетель cnosť vrlina vrlina dygd คุณงามความดี erdem, fazilet 美德 цнотливість, невинність نيکي đức hạnh
2 a good quality The house is small, but it has the virtue of being easy to clean. voordeel ميزَه حَسَنَه добро качество výhoda fordel der Vorzug προτέρημα, προσόν virtud eelis مزیت etu avantage יִתָרוֹן अच्छा गुण vrlina, dobra strana érték kebaikan kostur vantaggio 長所 장점 privalumas labums; priekšrocība kebaikan voordeel fortrinn zaleta virtude avantaj достоинство prednosť, výhoda prednost dobra strana fördel คุณสมบัติที่ดี üstünlük avantaj 優點 якість; достоїнство وصف tính hấp dẫn
3 goodness of character etc She is a person of great virtue. deugsaam عِفَّه، طَهارَه достойнство poctivost god egenskab die Rechtschaffenheit αρετή virtud vooruslikkus حسن hyveellisyys vertu, mérite מַעֲלָה טוֹבָה सदाचार, ईमानदारी, सच्चाई vrlina erkölcsi tisztaság watak baik verðleiki, kostur virtù 貞節 고결함 dorumas laba rakstura īpašība; labs raksturs sifat baik deugdzaamheid karakterstyrke prawość virtude merit добродетель dobrá vlastnosť, bezúhonnosť, počestnosť krepost vrlina dygd น่าชื่นชม meziyet, haslet 操守 доброчесність, чеснота حسن سيرت đức tính tốt
adj virtuous
morally good She is a virtuous young woman. kuis عَفيف، طاهِر، ذو فَضيلَه непорочна ctnostný dydig; anstændig tugendhaft ενάρετος virtuoso; (peyorativo) santurrón vooruslik پرهیزکار hyveellinen vertueux בַּעַל הִתנַהֲגוּת מוּסָרִית नैतिक moralan erkölcsös berwatak baik dyggðugur virtuoso 徳のある 덕이 있는 dorybingas tikumīgs berakhlak mulia deugdzaam dydig, moralsk prawy, cnotliwy virtuoso virtuos добродетельный poctivý kreposten moralan dygdig, rättskaffens เกี่ยวกับหลักศีลธรรม dürüst, erdemli, faziletli 品德高尚的 доброчесний نيک، خوش اخلاق đức tính tốt ,
adv virtuously
kuis باسْتِقامَه، بِفَضيلَه целомъдрено čestně dydigt; anstændigt tugendhaft ενάρετα con virtud, virtuosamente vooruslikult با پرهیزکاری hyveellisesti vertueusement בְּאוֹפֶן מוּסָרִי नेकी से, पवित्रतापूर्वक, सतीत्वभाव से moralno erényesen secara baik á réttlátan/dyggðugan hátt virtuosamente 高潔に 덕 있게; 정숙하게 dorai tikumīgi dlm kemuliaan deugdzaam dydig, moralsk cnotliwie virtuosamente virtuos добродетельно poctivo krepostno moralno dygdigt อย่างมีศีลธรรม dürüst bir şekilde 貞操地, 合乎道德地 цнотливо خوش اخلاقي سے đức tính tốt ,
n virtuousness
kuisheid فضيلَه، طَهارَه целомъдреност mravnost dydighed; anstændighed die Tugendhaftigkeit αρετή virtud vooruslikkus پارسایی؛ نجابت hyveellisyys vertu מוּסָרִיוּת नेकी, पवित्रता, सतीत्व moralnost erényesség, erkölcsösség kebaikan dyggð l'essere virtuoso 高潔さ 덕; 정숙 dorybė, dorumas tikumība; cēlsirdība kemuliaan deugdzaamheid dydighet prawość, cnotliwość virtude virtute добродетельность poctivosť poštenost moralnost dygdighet การมีศีลธรรม dürüstlük 貞操, 貞德, 高潔 цнотливість نيک کرداري، خوش اخلاقي sự có đức tính tốt , ,


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
This Dialogue begins abruptly with a question of Meno, who asks, 'whether virtue can be taught.
The virtue of prosperity, is temperance; the virtue of adversity, is fortitude; which in morals is the more heroical virtue.
This honest purpose you have been pleased to think I have attained: and to say the truth, it is likeliest to be attained in books of this kind; for an example is a kind of picture, in which virtue becomes, as it were, an object of sight, and strikes us with an idea of that loveliness, which Plato asserts there is in her naked charms.
 
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