Virtue vs Character - What's the difference?
virtue | character | Related terms |
(obsolete) The inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.
The inherent power or efficacy of something (now only in phrases).
* 2011 , "The autumn of the patriarchs", The Economist , 17 Feb 2011:
(uncountable) Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
* 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , XV.1:
A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person; an admirable quality.
* 1766 , Laurence Sterne, Sermon XLIV:
Specifically, each of several qualities held to be particularly important, including the four cardinal virtues, the three theological virtues, or the seven virtues opposed to the seven deadly sins.
* 1813 , John Fleetwood, The Life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ :
An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
* 1719 , :
* 2011 , The Guardian , Letter, 14 Mar 2011
A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and below archangels.
* 1667 , John Milton, Paradise Lost , Book X:
(uncountable) Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
* 1813 , Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice :
A being involved in the action of a story.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1
, passage=The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.}}
* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 26, author=Tasha Robinson, work=The Onion AV Club
, title= A distinguishing feature; characteristic.
A complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person or a group.
* Motley
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=3
, passage=Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.}}
Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; moral strength.
A unique or extraordinary individual; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits, especially charisma.
A written or printed symbol, or letter.
* Holder
Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the particular form of letters used by a person or people.
* Shakespeare
(computing) One of the basic elements making up a text file or string: a code representing a printing character or a control character.
(informal) A person or individual, especially one who is unknown or raises suspicions.
(mathematics) A complex number representing an element of a finite Abelian group.
Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty.
(dated) The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation.
* Addison
(dated) A reference given to a servant, attesting to his/her behaviour, competence, etc.
In obsolete terms the difference between virtue and character
is that virtue is the inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being while character is to write (using characters); To describe.As a verb character is
to write (using characters); To describe.virtue
English
(wikipedia virtue)Alternative forms
* vertue (archaic)Noun
- many Egyptians still worry that the Brotherhood, by virtue of discipline and experience, would hold an unfair advantage if elections were held too soon.
- There are a set of religious, or rather moral, writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery, in this world.
- Some men are modest, and seem to take pains to hide their virtues ; and, from a natural distance and reserve in their tempers, scarce suffer their good qualities to be known [...].
- The divine virtues of truth and equity are the only bands of friendship, the only supports of society.
- There were divers other plants, which I had no notion of or understanding about, that might, perhaps, have virtues of their own, which I could not find out.
- One virtue of the present coalition government's attack on access to education could be to reopen the questions raised so pertinently by Robinson in the 1960s [...].
- Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues , Powers; / For in possession such, not only of right, / I call ye, and declare ye now [...].
- though she did not suppose Lydia to be deliberately engaging in an elopement without the intention of marriage, she had no difficulty in believing that neither her virtue nor her understanding would preserve her from falling an easy prey.
Synonyms
*Antonyms
* (excellence in morals) vice * foibleDerived terms
* virtuous * make a virtue of necessity * patience is a virtue * in virtue of, by virtue ofSee also
* aretaic * paragonExternal links
* *character
English
Noun
Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, passage=But Pirates! comes with all the usual Aardman strengths intact, particularly the sense that its characters and creators alike are too good-hearted and sweet to nitpick. The ambition is all in the craft rather than in the storytelling, but it’s hard to say no to the proficiency of that craft, or the mild good cheer behind it. }}
- a man of thoroughly subservient character
- He has a great deal of character .
- Julius Caesar is a great historical character .
- It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter to express it to the eye.
- an inscription in the Runic character
- You know the character to be your brother's?
- in the miserable character of a slave
- in his character as a magistrate
- a man's character for truth and veracity
- Her actions give her a bad character .
- This subterraneous passage is much mended since Seneca gave so bad a character of it.