virtuosity

noun vir·tu·os·i·ty \ ˌvər-chü-ˈä-sə-tē \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of virtuosity

plural virtuosities

1 : great technical skill (as in the practice of a fine art)

2 : a taste for or interest in virtu

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Examples of virtuosity in a Sentence

Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.

Recent Examples of virtuosity from the Web

But Post is indeed different from other white rappers, most of whom try to prove their bona fides through virtuosity or political solidarity.

— hua hsu, The New Yorker, "Post Malone’s White-Rapper Blues," 7 May 2018
Each moment is vividly imagined and scored with Norman’s characteristic virtuosity, but one-thing-after-another is a shaky framework on which to build.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "San Francisco Symphony does right by little-known Prokofiev," 4 May 2018
Duets feature lush exchanges of weight, and solos unleash extraordinary flights of virtuosity — King couldn’t have devised a better showcase for the talents of these 12 dancers.

— karen campbell, BostonGlobe.com, "Alonzo King LINES Ballet offers a stunning show," 21 Apr. 2018
Jazz guitarist Bobby Broom said Pickens maintained a youthful exuberance along with his virtuosity until his death at the age of 86 in December 2017.

— sheryl devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Ravinia Jazz Mentors perform concert tribute to Willie Pickens," 10 Apr. 2018
Sadly, that virtuosity will not be on display at the induction ceremony.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2018: Is Dire Straits the unlikeliest new member? Inductee profile," 8 Apr. 2018
Leif Ove Andsnes, the Philharmonic’s artist in residence this season, played the work with easy virtuosity and panache.

— james r. oestreich, New York Times, "Review: Odd, Delightful Juxtapositions at the Philharmonic," 27 Apr. 2018
The violinist also evinced a marvelous range of dynamics, a poet's sense of phrasing, and a degree of sheer technical virtuosity that would have dropped jaws in any context.

— zachary lewis, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Orchestra displays impressive versatility with conductor Bernard Labadie (review)," 16 Feb. 2018
The conclusion for this wide-ranging program will be the Galician Folk Dances by Vázquez, a mix of folklore, emotion and virtuosity, to be played by David Garrido-Cid.

— Courant Community, "Community," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'virtuosity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Virtuosity is used particularly to describe musicians, but also often for writers, actors, dancers, and athletes. A virtuoso is a highly skilled performer, and a virtuoso performance is one that astonishes the audience by its feats. In ancient Greece the cities would hold male competitions in acrobatics, conjuring, public reciting, blowing the trumpet, and acting out scenes from Homer's epics, the winners of which would have been praised as virtuous, or "full of manly virtues".

First Known Use of virtuosity

1673

in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

VIRTUOSITY Defined for English Language Learners

virtuosity

noun

Definition of virtuosity for English Language Learners

: great ability or skill shown by a musician, performer, etc.

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Definition of virtuosity

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