Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

virtuous

/ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəs/ adjective

In Latin: probus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about virtuous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Full of virtue; having excellent moral character.
Successful communities need strong, selfless leaders and a virtuous people.

Origin

From Middle English vertuous, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertuous, vertous, ultimately from Late Latin virtuōsus, from Latin virtūs. By surface analysis, virtue + -ous. Doublet of virtuoso and piecewise doublet of virtùous.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word