Dictionary

virtuosity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌvɜː(ɹ)tjuˈɒsɪti/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós Proto-Italic *wiros Latin vir Proto-Indo-European *-tuHts Latin -tūs Latin virtūs Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Late Latin virtuōsusbor. Italian virtuosobor. English virtuoso Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English virtuosity From virtuoso + -ity (“quality of”); the terminal -o drops out. Compare Middle English vertuosite (“virtuous quality or character”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso.
   • Greek art and culture, which had become international, degenerated to mere virtuosity, empty of any ideal. 1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 93:
   • At any rate, there is fun to be had not only from the De Vriesian virtuosity in pun and parody, but in following his literally incredible plot. 1959 July 19, A. C. Spectorsky, “In Decency, Conn.: The Tents of Wickedness. By Peter De Vries. […]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Mar 2026:
2. (countable, uncountable) Lovers of the elegant arts as a class.

Forms

Translations (19)

fi virtuositeetti (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ca virtuosisme (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · it virtuosità (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ro măiestrie (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · fi mestaruus (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · fr virtuosité (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ro virtuozitate (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · pl wirtuozeria (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ga rímháistreacht (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · eo bravuro (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · pl wirtuozostwo (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · sk virtuozita (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · bg виртуозност (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · fi mestarillisuus (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ru виртуозность (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · pl wirtuozerstwo (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · fi taituruus (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · pl wirtuozja (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso) · ia virtuositate (technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso)