virtuous
Americanadjective
-
conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright.
Lead a virtuous life.
-
a virtuous young person.
adjective
-
characterized by or possessing virtue or moral excellence; righteous; upright
-
(of women) chaste or virginal
Other Word Forms
- nonvirtuous adjective
- nonvirtuously adverb
- nonvirtuousness noun
- quasi-virtuous adjective
- quasi-virtuously adverb
- unvirtuous adjective
- unvirtuously adverb
- unvirtuousness noun
- virtuously adverb
- virtuousness noun
Etymology
Origin of virtuous
First recorded in 1300–50; alteration (with i from Latin ) of Middle English vertuous, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin virtuōsus, equivalent to Latin virtu(s) virtue + -ōsus -ous
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.
“Escape Tsunami” is just the latest example of that virtuous cycle.
From Barron's
A spritz of lemon or lime and a sprinkle of salt is often enough — startlingly so — to make them feel alive rather than virtuous.
From Salon
The new industrial era was based on the idea that well-paid employees became avid consumers who, in a virtuous cycle, supported profitable companies.
From Barron's
The new industrial era was based on the idea that well-paid employees became avid consumers who, in a virtuous cycle, supported profitable companies.
From Barron's
As Caros put it, “If we want to maintain our individual liberties, our societal freedoms and flourish as a people, we must have a well-educated and virtuous citizenry.”
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.
