Adjacent Words

Virtuous definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VIR'TUOUS, a.
1. Morally good; acting in conformity to the moral law; practicing the moral duties, and abstaining from vice; as a virtuous man.
2. Being in conformity to the moral or divine law; as a virtuous action; a virtuous life.
The mere performance of virtuous actions does not denominate an agent virtuous.
3. Chaste; applied to women.
4. Efficacious by inherent qualities; as virtuous herbs; virtuous drugs. [Not in use.]
5. Having great or powerful properties; as virtuous steel; a virtuous staff; a virtuous ring. [Not in use.]
6. Having medicinal qualities. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: morally excellent [ant: wicked]
2: in a state of sexual virginity; "pure and vestal modesty"; "a spinster or virgin lady"; "men have decreed that their women must be pure and virginal" [syn: pure, vestal, virgin, virginal, virtuous]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 14th century 1. potent, efficacious 2. a. having or exhibiting virtue b. morally excellent ; righteous <a virtuous decision> 3. chaste Synonyms: see moral • virtuously adverb • virtuousness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 possessing or showing moral rectitude. 2 chaste. Phrases and idioms: virtuous circle a beneficial recurring cycle of cause and effect (cf. vicious circle (see CIRCLE n. 11)). Derivatives: virtuously adv. virtuousness n. Etymology: ME f. OF vertuous f. LL virtuosus f. virtus VIRTUE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Virtuous Vir"tu*ous (?; 135), a. [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.] 1. Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: (a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave. [Obs.] Old Priam's son, amongst them all, was chiefly virtuous. --Chapman. (b) Having power or efficacy; powerfully operative; efficacious; potent. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Lifting up his virtuous staff on high, He smote the sea, which calm['e]d was with speed. --Spenser. Every virtuous plant and healing herb. --Milton. (c) Having moral excellence; characterized by morality; upright; righteous; pure; as, a virtuous action. The virtuous mind that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, conscience. --Milton. 2. Chaste; pure; -- applied especially to women. Mistress Ford . . . the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband. --Shak. -- Vir"tu*ous*ly, adv. -- Vir"tu*ous*ness, n.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. A virtuous person behaves in a moral and correct way. Louis was shown as an intelligent, courageous and virtuous family man. = good ADJ 2. If you describe someone as virtuous, you mean that they have done what they ought to do and feel very pleased with themselves, perhaps too pleased. I cleaned the flat, which left me feeling virtuous. ADJ • virtuously 'I've already done that,' said Ronnie virtuously. ADV: usu ADV with v, also ADV adj

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Upright, honest, good, righteous, exemplary, worthy, excellent, blameless, morally right, equitable. 2. Chaste, modest, pure. 3. Efficacious, powerful.

Moby Thesaurus

Christian, advantageous, angelic, auspicious, beneficial, benevolent, blameless, blotless, bon, bonny, braw, bueno, capital, chaste, clean, cleanly, cogent, commendable, creditable, decent, effectual, efficacious, efficient, elegant, erect, estimable, ethical, excellent, exemplary, expedient, fair, fair-minded, faithful, famous, faultless, favorable, fine, full of integrity, godly, good, goodly, grand, guiltless, healthy, helpful, high-minded, high-principled, highly respectable, honest, honorable, immaculate, in the clear, incorruptible, inculpable, innocent, inviolate, irreproachable, just, kind, laudable, law-abiding, law-loving, law-revering, manly, moral, moralistic, nice, noble, pleasant, principled, profitable, proper, pure, pure in heart, purehearted, regal, reputable, respectable, right, right-minded, righteous, royal, saintlike, saintly, scrupulous, seraphic, sexually innocent, sinless, skillful, snowy, sound, splendid, spotless, stainless, sterling, straight, taintless, true, true-dealing, true-devoted, true-disposing, true-souled, true-spirited, truehearted, trustworthy, unblamable, unblemished, unblotted, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, undefiled, unimpeachable, unsoiled, unspotted, unstained, unsullied, untainted, untarnished, upright, uprighteous, upstanding, useful, valid, very good, virgin, virginal, white, without reproach, worthy, yeomanly