vertu
The fine arts as a subject of study or expertiseThe fine arts as a subject of study or expertise; understanding of arts and antiquities.
Meaning
4 senses(historical, uncountable)The fine arts as a subject of study or expertise; understanding of arts and antiquities.
(historical, uncountable)Objets d'art collectively.
(uncountable)Especially with reference to the writings of Machiavelli (1469–1527): the requisite qualities for political or military success; vitality, determination; power.
(uncountable)Moral worth; virtue, virtuousness.
- artistic quality
- love of or taste for fine objects of art
Origin
Borrowed from Italian virtù, †vertù (“moral worth, virtue (13th century); determination, pBorrowed from Italian virtù, †vertù (“moral worth, virtue (13th century); determination, perseverance, military valour (14th century); study of the liberal or fine arts; appreciation of, taste for, or expertise in the fine arts; objets d'art collectively (16th century)”); or from French vertu (“virtue”), ultimately from Latin virtūt-, virtus (“virtue”). Doublet of virtue; compare also virtuoso.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Synonyms
2 synonyms- artistic quality:virtu
- love of or taste for fine objects of art:virtuconnoisseurship
Lessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.