virtue

noun

ˈvər-(ˌ)chü How to pronounce virtue (audio)
Definition of virtuenext
1
as in distinction
a quality that gives something special worth the virtue of wool as a clothing material is that it can provide insulation from the cold even when wet

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in morality
conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong a lady of honor and virtue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in heroism
strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger a military hero whose virtue inspired a nation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of virtue But this place, for all its virtues, doesn’t have Vernon in it. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 Gilchrest’s beef – dressed up as a virtue – is that so few people have contributed anything to her. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026 This famed chemist had previously extolled the virtues of fertilizer as the answer to soil exhaustion, so his sudden reversal on the issue left a lasting impression on his contemporaries. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 Institutions need to look at consistency not merely as an operational virtue, but as an expression of justice. — Basel Tarab, STAT, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for virtue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virtue
  1. distinction
  2. morality
  3. heroism
  4. advantage
  5. integrity
  6. courage
  7. value
  8. honesty
Noun
  • This of course gives the Charger the unenviable distinction of being a vehicle that is both statistically more dangerous to be inside in the event of a crash, as well as increasing the chances of another driver dying whenever one is involved.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 30 July 2026
  • The distinction is important for the development of useful quantum computers.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
Definition of distinction
Noun
  • Yes, these stories have monsters in them, heroic adventures, and black-and-white morality tales.
    — Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • But there’s a difference between narrating crime scenes at a remove and wrestling with the lingering morality of it all.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
Definition of morality
Noun
  • An art film about the great midfielder Zinedine Zidane reveals the heroism and pathos of being human.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
  • Kara is addicted to drowning her sorrows and avoiding responsibility, but learns to embrace heroism after embarking on a quest for revenge alongside Ruthye (Eve Ridley).
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of heroism
Noun
  • Those firms that subordinated customer value to residual claims frequently paid a price; those who reversed the order compounded advantage.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Trust, financing, developer communities, standards, commercial partnerships, and diplomatic credibility have become competitive advantages in their own right.
    — Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of advantage
Noun
  • The district attorney’s office’s community integrity unit discovered the Brady rule violation, according to a news release from the office.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The optimizer explanation argues for better objective specification and evaluation integrity.
    — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of integrity
Noun
  • Many of the others, for now, either lack the courage of Klaveness or, quite simply, still have confidence in him.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • The Gryffindor must hone wisdom, the Hufflepuff courage, the Ravenclaw ambition and the Slytherin loyalty.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of courage
Noun
  • In the 1960s, the previous owner reached an agreement with Peninsula Open Space Trust, a nonprofit, with the intent of protecting the property's recreational and agricultural value.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The company has developed partnerships with Equinox, Lifetime, Barry’s Bootcamp, F45 and even the Delta One lounge at JFK to make structured recovery a customer value add.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of value
Noun
  • Making good on his promise in The Holdovers, Dominic Sessa is excellent in the role, nailing the contradictory aspects of a slippery character while mapping his coming-of-age arc with empathy and honesty.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
  • An honesty first, the kind the easy version of this argument would skip.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of honesty

Phrases Containing virtue

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virtually
virtue
virtueless
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Cite this Entry

“Virtue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virtue. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on virtue

Nglish: Translation of virtue for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about virtue

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