Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having or showing virtue, especially moral excellence: synonym: moral.
- adjective Archaic Chaste.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Having or exhibiting manly strength and courage; valorous; brave; gallant.
- Possessed of or exhibiting virtue; morally good; acting in conformity with right; discharging moral duties and obligations, and abstaining from immoral practices: as, a virtuous man.
- Being in conformity to the moral or divine law: as, a virtuous deed; a virtuous life.
- Chaste; pure; modest.
- Efficacious by inherent qualities; having singular or eminent properties or powers; potent; effective.
- = Syn. 2 and 3. Upright, exemplary, worthy, righteous. See
morality .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Possessing or exhibiting virtue.
- adjective obsolete Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave.
- adjective obsolete Having power or efficacy; powerfully operative; efficacious; potent.
- adjective Having moral excellence; characterized by morality; upright; righteous; pure.
- adjective Chaste; pure; -- applied especially to women.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Full of
virtue , having excellent moral character.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective morally excellent
- adjective in a state of sexual virginity
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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* The cardinal* (* 9*) * virtues* are the _hinge_-virtues, those on which the character _hinges_ or turns, those, the possession of all which, would constitute a virtuous character, while the absence of any one of them would justly forfeit for a man the epithet _virtuous_.
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Bünger uses the phrase "recursive decontenting" to describe what he called a virtuous cycle in automobile manufacturing: cutting mass, retaining power and increasing efficiency.
Future Is Now for Green Cars David Snow 2003
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News analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell recently wrote of what he called the virtuous cycle created by charging your most loyal online readers - who are presumably those invested enough in your news outlet to pay.
NPR Topics: News 2011
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The job growth was better than economists expected and perhaps the strongest sign yet that what they call a "virtuous cycle" has taken hold: When people spend more, corporate earnings rise, leading to more hiring and then more spending.
The Seattle Times 2011
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I found the IMF chief's multiple usage of the word "virtuous" quite appropriate, if not targeted to tug at the hearts of the Chinese.
unknown title 2011
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In the particular case [of the CRU emails], calling for scientists to take the moral high ground, and to be more virtuous, is roughly the equivalent of suggesting that victims of sexual assault should act more virtuous.
If we can’t make mistakes, then we can’t do science | Serendipity 2010
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In the particular case [of the CRU emails], calling for scientists to take the moral high ground, and to be more virtuous, is roughly the equivalent of suggesting that victims of sexual assault should act more virtuous.
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In the particular case [of the CRU emails], calling for scientists to take the moral high ground, and to be more virtuous, is roughly the equivalent of suggesting that victims of sexual assault should act more virtuous.
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What, in basketball, is called an assist, in morality, is called virtuous complicity.
Getting Godless Bill Yarrow 2011
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In the particular case [of the CRU emails], calling for scientists to take the moral high ground, and to be more virtuous, is roughly the equivalent of suggesting that victims of sexual assault should act more virtuous.
Serendipity: What has software engineering got to do with climate change? 2010
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