virtuoso
Americannoun
plural
virtuosos, virtuosi-
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
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.
The “Domine Deus,” for example, is a genuine virtuoso aria for tenor—it was a favorite of Luciano Pavarotti’s and Enrico Caruso sang it in his final recording session.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
A master manipulator, he’s both a playwright and an actor, constructing scenes that might seem impossible to pull off, then delivering a virtuoso performance that leaves everyone flabbergasted by his success.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 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
That is not to say that some classical musicians did not attain fame and success, but these were mostly singers, conductors and virtuoso players, making their names with Verdi, Mahler, Mozart or Wagner.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
