1.
virtue, admirable quality, moral excellence
A quality or trait considered morally good or admirable. Can refer to both personal virtues and values prized by a society or culture.
忍耐は美徳だ。
Patience is a virtue.
謙虚さは日本で大切にされる美徳の一つだ。
Humility is one of the virtues valued in Japan.
勤勉さを美徳とする文化では、長時間働くことが当然とされがちだ。
In cultures that consider diligence a virtue, working long hours tends to be taken for granted.
USAGE:
Commonly used in the pattern ～は美徳だ (~ is a virtue) or ～を美徳とする (to regard ~ as a virtue). Appears in discussions of ethics, culture, and character.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 美徳とする: to regard as a virtue
- 美徳とされる: to be considered a virtue
- ～は美徳だ: ~ is a virtue
- 最大の美徳: the greatest virtue