virtuoso
Americannoun
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a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field.
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a person who excels in musical technique or execution.
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a person who has a cultivated appreciation of artistic excellence, as a connoisseur or collector of objects of art, antiques, etc.
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Obsolete. a person who has special interest or knowledge in the arts and sciences; scientist; scholar.
adjective
noun
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a consummate master of musical technique and artistry
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a person who has a masterly or dazzling skill or technique in any field of activity
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a connoisseur, dilettante, or collector of art objects
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obsolete a scholar or savant
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(modifier) showing masterly skill or brilliance
a virtuoso performance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of virtuoso
1610–20; < Italian: versed, skilled < Late Latin virtuosus virtuous
Explanation
A virtuoso is an incredibly talented musician. You can also be a virtuoso in non-musical fields. A politician who helps pass a lot of bills might be called a legislative virtuoso. A baseball player who hits a lot of home runs is a slugging virtuoso. Usually, this word applies to music. It's very common for a talented pianist or guitarist to be called a virtuoso. Whatever your talent, it's a huge compliment to be called a virtuoso.
Vocabulary lists containing virtuoso
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Virtuoso pianist Ruth Slenczynska, who was the last surviving pupil of Sergei Rachmaninoff, has died at the age of 101, following an astonishing nine-decade career.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Misty Belles, vice president of global PR at Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agencies, said “Emily in Paris” increased tourism to France, “Bridgerton” to Britain and “Squid Game” to South Korea.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024
The Virtuoso RGB is built with a sturdy aluminum frame and a plush leatherette headband with customizable RGB logos on both earcups.
From The Verge • Jan. 31, 2022
“It was full of lapilli, and removing them released a very intense aroma of wine,” said Teresa Virtuoso, the archaeologist overseeing the team excavating the site.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2020
He attracted great attention by an early poem, 'The Virtuoso.'
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 1 by Runkle, Lucia Isabella Gilbert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
