virtue
noun /ˈvɜːtʃuː/
/ˈvɜːrtʃuː/
Idioms - [uncountable] (formal) behaviour or attitudes that show high moral standards
- He led a life of virtue.
- She was certainly no paragon of virtue (= her moral standards were very far from perfect).
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesc1- It would have taken a paragon of virtue not to feel jealous.
- She was seen as a paragon of domestic virtue.
- She led a life of moral virtue.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cardinal
- great
- important
- …
- have
- possess
- embody
- …
- make a virtue of necessity
- a paragon of virtue
- [countable] a particular good quality or habit
- Patience is not one of her virtues, I'm afraid.
- As a politician, he always emphasized the virtues of compromise and conciliation.
Extra Examples- He taught his children to practise/practice the virtues of temperance and chastity.
- He understands the traditional virtue of hard work.
- Philippe embodies the French virtues of charm and grace.
- He was convinced of the inherent virtue of hard work.
- She has just one, negative virtue—she never tells lies.
- the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cardinal
- great
- important
- …
- have
- possess
- embody
- …
- make a virtue of necessity
- a paragon of virtue
- [countable, uncountable] an attractive or useful quality synonym advantage
- The plan has the virtue of simplicity.
- He was extolling the virtues of the internet.
- They could see no virtue in discussing it further.
Extra Examples- There is no inherent virtue in having read all the latest books.
- The brochure makes a positive virtue of the island's isolated position.
- There is, of course, no inherent virtue in moderation.
- a story celebrating the virtues of democracy
- He was going on about the virtues of the internet.
- Her book has the cardinal virtue of simplicity.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cardinal
- great
- important
- …
- have
- possess
- embody
- …
- make a virtue of necessity
- a paragon of virtue
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French vertu, from Latin virtus ‘valour, merit, moral perfection’, from vir ‘man’.
Idioms
by/in virtue of something
- (formal) by means of or because of something
- She got the job by virtue of her greater experience.
make a virtue of something
- to manage to present as a good quality something that other people might consider to be bad
- There are artists who make a virtue of repetition.
make a virtue of necessity
- to manage to gain an advantage from something that you have to do and cannot avoid
- She decided to make a virtue of necessity and combined a business trip to Paris with a visit to her cousins there.
of easy virtue
- (old-fashioned) (of a woman) willing to have sex with anyone
- a woman of easy virtue
virtue is its own reward
- (saying) the reward for acting in a moral or correct way is the knowledge that you have done so, and you should not expect more than this, for example praise from other people or payment