virtuoso

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian virtuoso, from Late Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”), from Latin virtus (“excellence”). Doublet of virtuous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌvɜ.tʃuˈəʊ.səʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌvɝ.t͡ʃuˈoʊ.soʊ/

Noun

virtuoso (plural virtuosos or virtuosi)

1. (now historical) An expert in virtù or art objects and antiquities; a connoisseur.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 10, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A Millar, , →OCLC, book VIII, page 224:

     For, besides the extraordinary Neatness of the Room, it was adorned with a great Number of Nicknacks, and Curiosities, which might have engaged the Attention of a Virtuoso.

2. Someone with special skill or knowledge; an expert.
3. Specifically, a musician (or other performer) with masterly ability, technique, or personal style.

Translations

Adjective

virtuoso (comparative more virtuoso, superlative most virtuoso)

1. Exhibiting the ability of a virtuoso.
   • 2024 April 3, Phil McNulty, “Man City 4-1 Aston Villa: Phil Foden produces 'masterclass' to show worth again”, in BBC‎:

     Instead, he was able to sit alongside De Bruyne on the City bench admiring a virtuoso performance from Foden, pulling every string in the number 10 role and illustrating again why he is so important to Guardiola, and why he simply must start for Gareth Southgate's England at Euro 2024.

Related terms

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin virtuōsus. By surface analysis, virtù +‎ -oso.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vir.tuˈo.zo/, (traditional) /vir.tuˈo.so/, /virˈtwo.zo/, (traditional) /virˈtwo.so/
• Rhymes: -ozo, (traditional) -oso
• Hyphenation: vir‧tu‧ó‧so, vir‧tuó‧so

Adjective

virtuoso (feminine virtuosa, masculine plural virtuosi, feminine plural virtuose, superlative virtuosissimo)

1. virtuous
2. skilful
3. upright

Derived terms

• virtuosamente
• virtuosismo
• virtuosistico
• virtuosità

Noun

virtuoso m (plural virtuosi, feminine virtuosa)

1. virtuoso, master (of an instrument)

Descendants

• → English: virtuoso
• → French: virtuose
  • → Russian: виртуоз (virtuoz)
    • → Georgian: ვირტუოზი (virṭuozi)
• → Swedish: virtuos

References

Anagrams

• ostruivo

Latin

Adjective

virtuōsō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of virtuōsus

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: vir‧tu‧o‧so

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Late Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”), from Latin virtūs + -ōsus.

Adjective

virtuoso (feminine virtuosa, masculine plural virtuosos, feminine plural virtuosas, comparable, comparative mais virtuoso, superlative o mais virtuoso or virtuosíssimo, metaphonic)

1. virtuous (full of virtues)

Related terms

Noun

virtuoso m (plural virtuosos, feminine virtuosa, feminine plural virtuosas, metaphonic)

1. a virtuous person

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian virtuoso, from Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”).

Alternative forms

• virtuose

Adjective

virtuoso (feminine virtuosa, masculine plural virtuosos, feminine plural virtuosas, comparable, comparative mais virtuoso, superlative o mais virtuoso or virtuosíssimo, metaphonic)

1. virtuoso (with masterly ability)

Noun

virtuoso m (plural virtuosos, feminine virtuosa, feminine plural virtuosas, metaphonic)

1. virtuoso (person with masterly ability)

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biɾˈtwoso/

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oso
• Syllabification: vir‧tuo‧so

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”), from Latin virtūs + -ōsus.

Adjective

virtuoso (feminine virtuosa, masculine plural virtuosos, feminine plural virtuosas)

1. virtuous

Noun

virtuoso m (plural virtuosos, feminine virtuosa, feminine plural virtuosas)

1. virtuous person

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian virtuoso, from Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”).

Adjective

virtuoso (feminine virtuosa, masculine plural virtuosos, feminine plural virtuosas)

1. virtuoso (exhibiting the ability of a virtuoso)

Noun

virtuoso m (plural virtuosos, feminine virtuosa, feminine plural virtuosas)

1. virtuoso

Further reading

• “virtuoso”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014