virtu
Americannoun
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excellence or merit in objects of art, curios, and the like.
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(used with a plural verb) such objects or articles collectively.
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a taste for or knowledge of such objects.
noun
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a taste or love for curios or works of fine art; connoisseurship
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such objects collectively
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the quality of being rare, beautiful, or otherwise appealing to a connoisseur (esp in the phrases articles of virtu; objects of virtu )
Etymology
Origin of virtu
First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian virtù, vertù “worth, maleness, strength”; see virtue
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.
For example, Machiavelli appears and discusses his philosophical concept of "virtu" – the qualities needed to be a leader – with the hero Ezio.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2011
New foreign investment virtu ally was halted for months following the disorders.
From Time Magazine Archive
After ten years of rising in comes, younger couples have come to look on new homes, new cars, mechanized kitchens, plentiful jobs and good pay as virtu ally everyone's guarantee in the new U.S. economy.
From Time Magazine Archive
Courting private cap ital, the new regime has returned virtu ally all foreign properties seized by Sukarno, promised tax holidays and easy repatriation of profits to all newcomers.
From Time Magazine Archive
Of Consul Smith I am unable to present the lover of virtu with any particulars more acceptable than the following.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
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.
