Dictionary
vir•tue
Pronunciation: (vûr'chOO), [key]—
n.
1. moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
2. conformity of one's life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude.
3. chastity; virginity:
to lose one's virtue.
4. a particular moral excellence. Cf.
cardinal virtues, natural virtue, theological virtue.
5. a good or admirable quality or property:
the virtue of knowing one's weaknesses.
6. effective force; power or potency:
a charm with the virtue of removing warts.
7. virtues,an order of angels. Cf.
angel (def. 1).
8. manly excellence; valor.
9. by or in virtue of, by reason of; because of:
to act by virtue of one's legitimate authority.
10. make a virtue of necessity, to make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.