virtuoso

noun

vir·​tu·​o·​so ˌvər-chü-ˈō-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-(ˌ)zō
plural virtuosos or virtuosi ˌvər-chü-ˈō-(ˌ)sē How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-(ˌ)zē
Synonyms of virtuosonext
1
: one who excels in the technique of an art
Hailed far and wide as a virtuoso, perhaps the greatest glass artist of the 20th century …—Jon Krakauer
especially : a highly skilled musical performer
a piano/violin virtuoso
a jazz virtuoso
But the heart of the program was Beethoven, the Quartet in E Minor, Opus 59, No. 2, "Razoumovsky." This is where the modern string quartet begins, quartets that became the property of virtuosos instead of amateurs … —Ken Keaton
2
: a person who has exceptional skill, expertise, or talent at some endeavor
… instances in which young computer virtuosos occasionally cross the legal boundaries of remote computer systems.—Scott Mace
Although hockey has been more team-oriented than any other major sport, through the years there have been virtuosos who packed the houses.—Stan Fischler
3
: a person interested in the pursuit of knowledge in some specialized field and especially in the arts and sciences
[Samuel] Pepys was a characteristic product of his day, a virtuoso, a man sympathetic to every new trend in science and scholarship.—William Matthews
4
: a person interested in or having a taste for the fine arts
In the eighteenth century, rich "virtuosos" like Richard Payne Knight and his friend Charles Townley assembled vast collections of everything from Roman sculpture to skewered beetles …—Walter Kendrick
virtuoso adjective
a virtuoso cellist
virtuoso performances
Canto LXXX … provides a particularly virtuoso example of the poet's ear for dialects and languages. —Richard Sieburth

Did you know?

English speakers borrowed the Italian noun virtuoso in the 1600s, but the Italian word had a former life as an adjective meaning both "virtuous" and "skilled." The first virtuosos (the English word can be pluralized as either virtuosos or, in the image of its Italian forbear, as virtuosi) were individuals of substantial knowledge and learning ("great wits," to quote one 17th-century clergyman). The word was then transferred to those skilled in the arts and to skilled musicians, specifically. In time, English speakers broadened virtuoso to apply to a person adept in any pursuit.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of virtuoso in a Sentence

He's a real virtuoso in the kitchen.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The virtuoso believes there should be healthy aspects of listening to dance music that benefit listeners positively other than just loving the genre. —Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Van Halen claims that Roth found the idea to be offensive and refused to entertain any type of tribute to the guitar virtuoso. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024 During the time Chopin and Sand got together, Chopin was just 27 years old and was known as a virtuoso (person of exceptional talent) in piano, according to The Kennedy Center. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Hitmaker and jam band guitar virtuoso John Mayer also performed a short set. —Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for virtuoso 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from virtuoso, adjective, virtuous, skilled, from Late Latin virtuosus virtuous, from Latin virtus

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of virtuoso was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near virtuoso

virtuosity

virtuoso

virtuous

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Virtuoso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtuoso. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

virtuoso

noun
vir·​tu·​o·​so ˌvər-chə-ˈwō-sō How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-zō
plural virtuosos or virtuosi -sē How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-zē
: a person who excels in the performance of an art
especially : a skilled musician
virtuoso adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on virtuoso

Nglish: Translation of virtuoso for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of virtuoso for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about virtuoso

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...