Virtue

How to spell virtue

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce virtue

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does virtue mean?

1. nounBehaviour or character showing high moral standards; a particular good quality in a person.

Virtue in a sentence

• Patience is a virtue that served her well during the long negotiation.

• The report praised his honesty as his greatest virtue.

Where does virtue come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin virtus, which meant moral strength, courage, and excellence, and was built directly on vir, the Latin word for 'man'. To the Romans virtus literally suggested the qualities expected of a worthy man, especially valour and steadfastness, before it broadened to mean general moral goodness. English took the word in during the 1200s through Old French vertu, and for centuries the everyday spelling wavered between 'vertue' and 'virtue' before the Latin-leaning 'virtue' won out. The same vir root survives in 'virile' and even in 'virago', and that buried Latin connection explains the tricky 'ir' in the middle, since people who think of the unstressed first syllable as 'ver' often misspell it. The phrase 'by virtue of', meaning 'as a result of', preserves the older flavour of inherent power or worth.

How the word is built

• virt- (from Latin vir: man, and virtus: moral strength, worth)
• -ue (noun ending from Latin -us)