virtue

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Moral uprightness

Nouns

1. virtue; virtuousness, goodness; morality; moral rectitude; integrity, probity; nobleness; prudence; morals, ethics, duty; work ethic; cardinal virtues; merit, worth, excellence, credit; self-control; fortitude, self-denial; good deeds, good behavior; discharge, fulfillment, or performance of duty; chastity, innocence; meritocracy. See rightness, goodness, piety.

2. virtuous or good person. Informal, straight arrow, Mr. Clean.

Verbs — practice, virtue; do, fulfill, perform, or discharge one's duty; redeem one's pledge; behave; command or master one's passions; keep on the straight and narrow path; set an example, be on one's good or best behavior.

Adjectives — virtuous, good, innocent; meritorious, deserving, worthy, correct; dutiful, duteous, moral, right, righteous, right-minded; well-intentioned, creditable, laudable, commendable, praiseworthy; above or beyond praise; excellent, admirable; sterling, pure [as the driven snow], noble, exemplary, matchless, peerless; saintly, saintlike; heaven-born, angelic, seraphic.

Phrases — virtue is its own reward; he lives long who lives well.

Quotations — Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual (Friedrich Nietzsche), Morality is a private and costly luxury (Henry Adams), Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo (H. G. Wells), How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world (Shakespeare), Dost thou think, because thou are virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale? (Shakespeare), Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set (Francis Bacon), When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only make a sacrifice to God of the devil's leavings (Alexander Pope), Virtue knows to a farthing what it has lost by not having been vice (Horace Walpole), My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure (Lord Tennyson), I used to be Snow White... but I drifted (Mae West), I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after (Ernest Hemingway), Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men (Martin Luther King).

Antonyms, see evil, improbity.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Moral excellence]

Syn. ideal, ethic, morality, goodness, righteousness, uprightness, ethical conduct, ethicality, good thing, respectability, rectitude, honor, honesty, candor, merit, fineness, character, excellence, value, chastity, quality, worth, kindness, innocence, generosity, trustworthiness, faithfulness, consideration.

The cardinal virtues of ancient Greek philosophy are the following: justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude. The cardinal or theological virtues of the Christian church are the following: faith, hope, charity or love.

Ant. evil*, immorality, depravity.

2. [An individual excellence]

Syn. quality, characteristic, attribute, temper, way, trait, feature, accomplishment, achievement, property, distinction, capacity, power.

Ant. lack*, inability, incapacity.

3. [Probity in sexual conduct]

Syn. virginity, purity, decency; see chastity .

• by virtue of,

Syn. on the grounds of, because of, looking toward; see because .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) adv.

1. morality goodness, righteousness, uprightness, moral excellence, decency, character, integrity, incorruptibility, honor, Christian values, principle, ethic. ''The fount whence honor springs. —Christopher Marlowe. *Forebearance.*—F. Scott Fitzgerald. ''Reason in practice.''—Marie de Chenier. ''A mean state between two vices, the one of excess and the other of deficiency. —Aristotle. ''Blood is an inheritance, virtue an acquisition. —Miguel de Cervantes. ''Virtue is insufficient temptation.''—George Bernard Shaw.

2. chastity chasteness, purity, virginity, celibacy, innocence, modesty, abstinence, continence.

3. excellence merit, effectiveness, value.

ANT.: 1. immorality, evil, wickedness, sin. 2. promiscuity, immodesty, impurity. 3. inferiority, ineffectiveness

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. The quality or state of being morally sound: good, goodness, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, Tightness, uprightness, virtuousness. See RIGHT. 2. The condition of being chaste: chastity, decency, innocence, modesty, purity, virginity, virtuousness. See GOOD, RESTRAINT, SEX. 3. A special feature or quality that confers superiority: beauty, distinction, excellence, merit, perfection. See GOOD. 4. A level of superiority that is usually high: caliber, merit, quality, stature, value, worth. See GOOD, VALUE.