virtuosity
AmericanEtymology
Origin of virtuosity
First recorded in 1665–75; virtuos(o) + -ity
Explanation
Use the noun virtuosity to describe an impressive skill, such as a classical musician's virtuosity at playing the cello. Lots of people have talents, but only a select few, called virtuosos, have the superior quality of virtuosity. A piano virtuoso, for example, is able to play and improvise at the highest level possible. People can also display virtuosity in speaking, in writing computer code, in cooking, or in other skills. In the late fifteenth century, virtuosity specifically meant "manly qualities," from the Latin root virtutem, "manliness, valor, or excellence."
Vocabulary lists containing virtuosity
1984
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Hamilton
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The Chosen
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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.
What is most astonishing in Mr. Ackroyd’s brisk, persuasive account is the gulf—and, eventually, chasm—between the discipline and virtuosity of Auden’s verses and his increasingly dissolute and unhappy personal life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Broadway’s hold on us isn’t just about nostalgia or virtuosity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Phil going back to the Esa-Pekka Salonen era, has written here five colorful etudes that show off the orchestra’s virtuosity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
The pianos are made in significant numbers, but each one requires the application of personalized craft; Mr. Payne’s photographs display Steinway employees with the technical virtuosity and artistic improvisations of fine musicians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
On stage, Bull was still retching and puking and burping, lost completely in the virtuosity of his performance.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
