as in distinctions
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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Recent Examples of virtues
One of the challenges with character is that any of the virtues can manifest as deficient or excess vices, as shown in Table 1.
—
Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe Albro would raise concerns that the police weren’t doing enough to protect young women’s virtues, or Matthews would criticize the lack of a similar dragnet to find the killer of Mary Tate.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
For four decades, Megadeth have been high priests—not the highest, but close—in a church of metal where technical prowess, breakneck tempos, and sneering attitude are the holiest of virtues.
—Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Wallace, by implication, was concerned with patience, steadfastness, and tranquillity precisely because these virtues often eluded him in life.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Beyond that, the tech lords often suffer the vices of their virtues.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Could these kinds of virtues really be good for you?
—Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Having written to the court late last week on the virtues of her husband, Melissa Gilbert was in the courtroom today with other members of the family for the hearing.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
These are not abstract values and virtues.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe Albro would raise concerns that the police weren’t doing enough to protect young women’s virtues, or Matthews would criticize the lack of a similar dragnet to find the killer of Mary Tate.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
For four decades, Megadeth have been high priests—not the highest, but close—in a church of metal where technical prowess, breakneck tempos, and sneering attitude are the holiest of virtues.
—Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Wallace, by implication, was concerned with patience, steadfastness, and tranquillity precisely because these virtues often eluded him in life.
—Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Beyond that, the tech lords often suffer the vices of their virtues.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Could these kinds of virtues really be good for you?
—Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Having written to the court late last week on the virtues of her husband, Melissa Gilbert was in the courtroom today with other members of the family for the hearing.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
These are not abstract values and virtues.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virtues
Noun
-
Attorneys for the plaintiffs say such distinctions are ephemeral, pointing out that YouTube has by far the youngest group of users, many of whom say the platform was an on-ramp to the world of social media.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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These distinctions become more evident when analyzing the financials side by side.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Columbus blanked the Blackhawks on their two power-play chances, running their string of futility to 26 man-advantages and 10 games without a goal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
While flat structures work well in many systems, one-dimensional forms offer advantages in applications that require fast transport or mechanical reinforcement.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In an area award, nominees are judged individually on their own merits.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Other shows on the comedy tip like The Big Door Prize, Sunny and Hello Tomorrow dip into the world of science fiction and have their merits.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Education policies, as well as parenting values focused on grades and test scores as singular markers of achievement may also be to blame.—
Brandon Busteed,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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That support has given me the strength to keep pushing forward, for integrity, accountability, and a sport that truly upholds the values that brought us together to compete.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virtues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virtues. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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