aretegenic

A1R1E1T1E1G2E1N1I1C3

adjective

Conducive to or producing virtue.

OriginAncient Greek ἀρετή →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

adjective
  1. Conducive to or producing virtue.

    199?,, Colin E. Gunton, in The Church as a School of Virtue?: Human Formation in Trinitarian Framework, speaking before the Heidelberger Ökumenisches Forum Good theology is aretegenic, productive of virtue.

    1 more example

    This aretegenic (virtue producing) function of theology was at the heart of theology prior to modernity.

    2004, Richard J. Vincent, Practicing Theology: The Transformational Purpose of Theology

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀρετή“virtue”
  2. Englisharetegenic

Coined by Episcopalian theologian Ellen T. Charry in 1997 in "By the Renewing of Your Minds" →ISBN. From Ancient Greek ἀρετή (aretḗ, “virtue”) and γεννάω (gennáō, “to beget”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

aretegenic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aretegenic

MLA

“aretegenic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aretegenic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aretegenic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aretegenic.

Source: aretegenic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.