as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
virtuous behavior is its own reward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of virtuous
In a virtuous friendship, each individual helps the other become better versions of themselves through encouragement, moral guidance and support.
—
Gregg D. Caruso, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Saints are persons in heaven who were officially canonized or not who did one of the following, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Lived heroically virtuous lives.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
The Upshot Of The Trump Executive Order On Student Loan Accreditation Reform
In sum, the Trump executive order targeting student loan accreditation reform seeks to create a virtuous cycle for prospective students: higher-quality colleges, better student outcomes, and less onerous debt.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But to see who has just this virtuous discretion, voters will need a touch of that wisdom themselves.
—John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virtuous
Gregg D. Caruso, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Saints are persons in heaven who were officially canonized or not who did one of the following, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Lived heroically virtuous lives.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 1 May 2025
The Upshot Of The Trump Executive Order On Student Loan Accreditation Reform
In sum, the Trump executive order targeting student loan accreditation reform seeks to create a virtuous cycle for prospective students: higher-quality colleges, better student outcomes, and less onerous debt.
—Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
But to see who has just this virtuous discretion, voters will need a touch of that wisdom themselves.
—John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virtuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virtuous
Adjective
-
After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Quang enjoyed a successful pharmaceutical sales stint as a top producer for Astra/Merck and then Genentech.—
Quang X. Pham,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
Civil disobedience is honorable; violence is beyond the pale.—
David French,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Leaders question assumptions, weigh options, and make thoughtful, ethical decisions.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
The Australian fashion label endeavors to meet ethical sourcing standards as part of its practices, per the brand’s sustainability statement.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
How can leaders conduct honest conversations without inspiring defensiveness, denial, or backlash?—
Lauren Howe,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
One of those fans, apparently, is singer Ciara, who recently urged the Harlem artist to make Lampkin an honest women after running into the rapper in the BET Awards press room this weekend.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
That this wrap-up happens on the stoop of an apartment building provides a nice callback to Past Lives.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
-
Reyes was a nice spring training story, but the Yankees were fooled by meaningless February and March stats.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Born in Seattle, Schmetzer was a true two-way midfielder as a player with defensive steel and an eye for creating chances.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
-
The film also stars Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson and Spencer Watson. Co-written by Greengrass and Brad Inglesby, The Lost Bus is inspired by true events featured in Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Then, Bennett, the Panthers best player these playoffs, took a tripping penalty behind the play coming out of the offensive zone.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
-
As good as Trachtenberg is at keeping secrets, this particular one seems unlikely.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
And more than any other animal, cats represented to her its moral antithesis: lazy, pompous, interested only in themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
-
By integrating care ethics into institutional frameworks, VSS can foster environments where individuals feel valued and connected, addressing the moral vocation of belonging in a world facing existential threats (registration required) like climate change.—
Yujia Zhu,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Virtuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virtuous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share