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.
Jones stole the show with a virtuoso display at Wembley, playing a part in Notts' two first-half goals before adding the promotion-sealing third in a 3-0 victory.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
After all, this virtuoso who has flirted with the boundaries of figure skating at every turn couldn’t possibly resist a trick this flashy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
Pep Guardiola is so smitten by Rayan Cherki that the Manchester City boss said he wanted to kiss the "incredible" French star after his virtuoso performance in Saturday's 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.
From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025
Along with his Long Beach Opera gig, Rountree is founder and music director of Wild Up, the avant-garde chamber orchestra of virtuoso musicians, all of whom happen to be progressive composers as well.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025
Leonardo is in fact a virtuoso of the lyre, a sort of early viola.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
