virtus

Latin

Etymology

From vir (“man, male”) +‎ -tūs (abstract noun-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯ir.tuːs/, [ˈu̯ɪrt̪uːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈvir.tus/, [ˈvirt̪us]

Noun

virtūs f (genitive virtūtis); third declension

1. manhood, manliness, virility
2. courage, valor, resoluteness, gallantry

   Synonyms: spīritus, fortitūdō, fīdūcia, animus

   • c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 1.1:

     Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt.

     • Translation by W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn

       For which reason the Helvetii also surpass the rest of the Gauls in valor, as they contend with the Germans in almost daily battles, when they either repel them from their own territories, or themselves wage war on their frontiers.

3. virtue, goodness

   Synonyms: bonum, rēctum

   Antonyms: vitium, culpa, malum, iniūria, noxa, peccātum, dēlictum, error

4. excellence, merit, worth, character
5. (figuratively) strength (of medicine or herbs)

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	virtūs	virtūtēs
genitive	virtūtis	virtūtum
dative	virtūtī	virtūtibus
accusative	virtūtem	virtūtēs
ablative	virtūte	virtūtibus
vocative	virtūs	virtūtēs

Synonyms

• (manliness): virātus (Late Latin)

Derived terms

• virtuōsus

Descendants

• → Albanian: vërtyt, virtyt
• Aromanian: vãrtuti, virtuti
• Asturian: virtú
• Catalan: virtut
• Old French: vertu
  • → Middle English: vertu
    • English: virtue
  • French: vertu
• Friulian: virtût
• Galician: virtude
• Italian: virtù, vertù
• Lombard: virtù
• Occitan: vertut
• Old Galician-Portuguese: vertude
  • Portuguese: virtude
• Old Spanish: vertud
  • Spanish: virtud
• Piedmontese: vërtù
• Romanian: vârtute, virtute
• Sicilian: virtuti
• Venetan: vertù
• Welsh: gwyrth

References

• “virtus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “virtus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• virtus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• virtus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to have the reputation of virtue: opinionem virtutis habere
    
  • to quote Socrates as a model of virtue: a Socrate exemplum virtutis petere, repetere
    
  • to sing the praises of some one (not canere aliquem: alicuius laudes (virtutes) canere
    
  • what do we mean by 'virtue': quae intellegitur virtus
    
  • what do we mean by 'virtue': quid est virtus?
    
  • to walk in the ways of virtue: viam virtutis ingredi (Off. 1. 32. 118)
    
  • to make virtue the standard in every thought and act: omnia consilia et facta ad virtutem referre (Phil. 10. 10. 20)
    
  • to strive to attain virtue: virtutem sequi, virtutis studiosum esse
    
  • to live a perfect life: virtutis perfectae perfecto munere fungi (Tusc. 1. 45. 109)
    
  • to live as scrupulously moral a life as ever: virtutem pristinam retinere
    
  • this is a characteristic of virtue, it..: virtus hoc habet, ut...
    
  • to rouse in some one an enthusiasm for virtue: excitare aliquem ad virtutem
    
  • a good conscience: conscientia recta, recte facti (factorum), virtutis, bene actae vitae, rectae voluntatis
    
  • to incite to valour: ad virtutem excitare, cohortari (or simply adhortari, cohortari)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be virtuous: virtute praeditum, ornatum esse (opp. vitiis obrutum esse)
    
  • (ambiguous) to live as scrupulously moral a life as ever: nihil ex pristina virtute remittere
    
  • (ambiguous) to consider virtue the highest good: summum bonum in virtute ponere
    
  • (ambiguous) to deviate from the path of virtue: a virtute discedere or deficere
    
  • (ambiguous) to deteriorate: a maiorum virtute desciscere, degenerare, deflectere
    
  • (ambiguous) moral precepts: praecepta de moribus or de virtute
    
  • (ambiguous) to give moral advice, rules of conduct: de virtute praecipere alicui
    
  • (ambiguous) good luck to you: macte virtute (esto or te esse iubeo)
    
• “virtus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “virtus”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray