Definition of VIRTUOSITY

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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

My kid could do this.’ Tate’s work lacks any obvious effort at virtuosity, but his central obsession — that chaos, often delivered at the hands of the natural world, is forever intruding on the mundane — will shake you. — New York Times, "New & Noteworthy," 19 June 2018 Where Tchaikovsky’s concerto dazzles with surface-level pyrotechnics, Mozart’s calls for more understated virtuosity. — Joshua Barone, New York Times, "Review: Lang Lang, Classical Music’s Superstar, Returns Quietly," 8 July 2018 And therein lies the virtuosity and complexity of the artist born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., a performer who has reinvented himself perhaps more than any other pop star. — Gerrick D. Kennedy, latimes.com, "Snoop Dogg's latest reinvention is heaven-sent," 30 Mar. 2018 The first is Lesley Manville’s breathtaking performance as Mary Tyrone, who is played not as an excuse for flamboyant virtuosity but as a credible wife and mother imprisoned in addiction. — Matt Cooper, latimes.com, "The week ahead in SoCal theater: 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' and more," 22 June 2018 This staple of the cello repertoire demands both virtuosity and sensitivity from the soloist. — Jessica Rudman, courant.com, "HSO Plays A Superb Shostakovich Program To Two Standing Ovations," 5 May 2018 After intermission, the orchestra again displayed its virtuosity in Mozart's Symphony No. — Rick Schultz, latimes.com, "L.A. Chamber Orchestra musicians offer a fitting remembrance for one of their own," 22 May 2018 For decades, Charles has written a column of unparalleled principle and integrity, not to mention humor and intellectual virtuosity. — Lukas I. Alpert, WSJ, "Pulitzer Prize-Winning Columnist Charles Krauthammer Dies at 68," 22 June 2018 Around them, Mendes brings all of his virtuosity to bear. — Demetrios Matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Lehman Trilogy': Theater Review," 13 July 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.