virtue

Universal Words noun 1 [U] (formal) behaviour or attitudes that show high moral standards: He led a life of virtue. * She was certainly no paragon of virtue! 2 [C] a particular good quality or habit: Patience is not one of her virtues, I'm afraid. * As a politician, he always emphasized the virtues of compromise and conciliation. 3 [C,U] an attractive or useful quality SYNADVANTAGE: The plan has the virtue of simplicity. * He was extolling the virtues of the Internet. * They could see no virtue in discussing it further. IDIOMS by / in virtue of sth (formal) by means of or because of sth: She got the job by virtue of her greater experience. make a virtue of necessity to manage to gain an advantage from sth that you have to do and cannot avoid: She decided to make a virtue of necessity and combined a business trip to Paris with a visit to her cousins there. moreatEASYadj.