virtue noun

ADJ. cardinal, great, special | chief | inherent There is no inherent virtue in having read all the latest books. | negative, positive She has just one, negative virtue?she never tells lies. The brochure makes a positive virtue of the island's isolated position. | old-fashioned, traditional He understands the traditional virtue of hard work. | Christian, ethical, moral | domestic | civic, public | political | easy women of easy virtue (= with low standards of sexual morality)

VERB + VIRTUE have Her book has the cardinal virtue of simplicity. | emphasize, extol, preach He never stops extolling the virtues of the free market.

PHRASES make a virtue of necessity (= to manage to gain an advantage from sth you have to do and cannot avoid), a paragon of virtue It would have taken a paragon of virtue not to feel jealous.