Virtue

Definition

Behavior showing high moral standards; a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person; a good or useful quality of a thing.

Beyond the definition

Virtue has classical roots — the Greek aretē and the Latin virtus named excellence of character, the specific excellences that make a person excellent. The virtue tradition holds that character can be cultivated. In contemporary use, virtue has both the general sense (being good) and the specific (courage, prudence, justice, temperance).

Origin & history

From Latin virtus — moral excellence (from vir: man). The excellence of the man — virtus was originally martial courage, the manly excellence. Over centuries it expanded to cover all moral excellence.

Example sentences

Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.

She wasn't virtuous because she was trying to be — she was virtuous because she'd built the habits.

The virtue of patience: sometimes you can see its value only when you've watched the impatient fail.

Virtue ethics asks not 'what should I do?' but 'what kind of person should I become?'

Synonyms

goodness, morality, integrity, righteousness, excellence

Antonyms

vice, immorality, wickedness

Related words

• righteousness
• grace
• benevolence
• integrity

Virtue vs morality

Virtue refers to specific, positive character traits or excellence in a person. Morality is the general system of rules or principles that define right and wrong behavior.

Word in the Wild

See how this word appears in life, language and stories.

Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.

Fictional scene

Calm Decision Making Together

An experienced team leader reviews a geometric model with colleagues, showing open, composed hands and shared integrity.

This scene captures virtue as a set of moral qualities including composure and openness. By displaying authority that is measured rather than intimidating, the subjects embody moral uprightness and collaborative integrity, showing that useful qualities are those that foster trust.

Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration