virtù

virtue

noun veer-TOO Less Common

Origin: Latin virtus, 'excellence, moral strength'

Usage Note

Virtù ends in an accented vowel and is therefore invariable in the plural — le virtù (same form). The phrase in virtù di means 'by virtue of / by means of' and is common in formal and legal Italian. Do not confuse with virtuale (virtual); the two words are unrelated in modern usage despite sharing the Latin root.

Examples

"La pazienza è una grande virtù."

Natural Translation

Patience is a great virtue.

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