From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvirtuevir‧tue /ˈvɜːtʃuː $ ˈvɜːr-/ ●●○ W3 noun 1 [uncountable] formal moral goodness of character and behaviour OPP vice Women have often been used as symbols of virtue.2 [countable]GOOD POINT OR CHARACTERISTIC a particular good quality in someone’s character OPP vice Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness.3 [countable, uncountable]ADVANTAGE an advantage that makes something better or more useful than something elsevirtue of Adam Smith believed in the virtues of free trade. Wilkins is now extolling (=praising very much) the virtues of organic farming.► see thesaurus at advantage4 → by virtue of something5 → make a virtue of something6 → make a virtue of necessity7 [uncountable] old use the state of not having with someone, or not having sex with anyone except your husband
Examples from the Corpus
virtue• heroic virtues• Such a conclusion to a hunting trip is evidence that the man is endowed with proper male virtue.• Among their many virtues, they are always direct and honest.• Women have often been used as symbols of virtue and nobility.• They forget all the old virtues, which weren't real virtues anyway.• They believed in the virtues of culture, civilization and reason.• Yet she could see by their shocked and altered faces that even their virtues were being burned away.extolling ... the virtues of• But now is not the time to be extolling the virtues of Anglo-Saxon shareholder capitalism.• The extreme western edge of the square has the now compulsory big city billboards extolling the virtues of consumerism.• This man drinks alone, perhaps because he has driven away all his companions by extolling the virtues of his bank.• From the street, the yodel of a sulphur blender could be heard, extolling the virtues of his ointments.• We have had several letters from readers extolling the virtues of ponies, and how many are having enormous fun with them.• There is a habit of running down the competition rather than extolling the virtues of their own ranges.• The appraiser went on for some time, extolling the virtues of the scholarship.• For the next few weeks she ploughed on, doing her normal writing, extolling the virtues of the firm's products.Origin virtue (1100-1200) Old French virtu, from Latin virtus “strength, virtue”, from vir “man” 