definitions

virtue

[ vur-choo ]
/ ˈvɜr tʃu /
||
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noun

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RELATED WORDS

as, being, considering, for, over, seeing, since, through, whereas, by, per, using, via, with, along

Nearby words

virtual reality, virtual storage, virtuality, virtualize, virtually, virtue, virtue signaling, virtues, virtuosa, virtuosity, virtuoso

Idioms

    by/in virtue of, by reason of; because of: to act by virtue of one's legitimate authority.
    make a virtue of necessity, to make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.

Origin of virtue

1175–1225; alteration (with i < Latin) of Middle English vertu < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin virtūt- (stem of virtūs) maleness, worth, virtue, equivalent to vir man (see virile) + -tūt- abstract noun suffix

SYNONYMS FOR virtue

1 See goodness.
2 probity, integrity.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR virtue ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

vir·tue·less, adjectivevir·tue·less·ness, nounnon·vir·tue, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for by virtue of

virtue

/ (ˈvɜːtjuː, -tʃuː) /

noun

Derived Forms

virtueless, adjective

Word Origin for virtue

C13: vertu, from Old French, from Latin virtūs manliness, courage, from vir man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with by virtue of (1 of 2)

by virtue of

Also in virtue of. On the grounds of, by reason of, as in By virtue of a large inheritance she could easily afford not to work. [Early 1300s]

Idioms and Phrases with by virtue of (2 of 2)

virtue

see by virtue of; make a virtue of necessity.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.