virtuosity

noun

vir·​tu·​os·​i·​ty ˌvər-chü-ˈä-sə-tē 

plural virtuosities

1

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

2

: a taste for or interest in virtu

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".

Examples of virtuosity in a Sentence

Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.

Recent Examples on the Web

But it was filled with quicksilver, roller-coaster displays of virtuosity and the sly humor Lutoslawski and fellow Polish composer and pianist Andrzej Panufnik brought to their Paganini variations in its original 1941 iteration. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

In the end, technical virtuosity matters far less than having soul, that ineffable, impossible-to-fake quality that’s embedded in the cosmic architecture of a performance. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

Claudia Rankine, Triage Rankine’s first book since 2020 promises to be a departure in form, if not virtuosity. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Beyond the virtuosity on display in the formula, Chinchilla says, knowing its author is a game changer. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for virtuosity

• atrocity
• ferocity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• porosity
• precocity
• schistosity
• velocity
• verbosity
• viscosity
• animosity
• curiosity

Kids Definition

virtuosity

noun

vir·​tu·​os·​i·​ty ˌvər-chə-ˈwäs-ət-ē 

plural virtuosities

: great performing ability in the fine arts