Meanings
- idiomatic(originally) By the authority or power of; (now) because of; on the grounds of; by reason of.
We guarantee by virtue of our power and the confidence of those who accept the guarantee; it is given by means of a word, which is accepted as a pledge for the future performance of a contract; [...]
1826, George Crabb, “To Guarantee, be Security, be Responsible, Warrant”, in English Synonymes, with Copious Illustrations and Explanations. Drawn from the Best Writers, new enlarged edition, London: Printed for Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, […]; and Simpkin and Marshall, […]; by C. Baldwin, […], →OCLC, page 173, column 15 more examples
Moreouer the perfit beleue of this article, worketh in all true chriſten people, aloue to continue in this vnitie, and afeare to be caſte out of the ſame, and it worketh in them that be ſinners and repentant, great comforte, and conſolacion, to obteine remiſſion of ſinne, by vertue of Chriſtes paſſion, and adminiſtracion of his ſacramentes at the miniſters handes, ordained for that purpoſe, [...]
1543 June 7, Henry VIII of England, “The Nynthe Article. The Holy Catholike Churche.”, in A Necessary Doctrine and Erudicion for Any Chrysten Man, Set furth by the Kynges Maiestye of Englande, &c., imprinted at London: […] by Thomas Berthelet, […], →OCLCBut in the high Court of Parliament, every Man by virtue of the King's Authority, by Writ under the Great Seal, hath a judicial Place; and ſo conſequently the killing of every of them had been a ſeveral Treaſon, and Crimen læſæ Majeſtatis.
1605 February 14, “The Tryal of the Conspirators Concern’d in the Gunpowder-Plot, on Monday the 27th of January, Anno 1605. [Julian calendar] and in the Third Year of King James the First, in Westminster-Hall, before the Lords Commissioners there; [...]”, in [Thomas Salmon], editor, A Compleat Collection of State-Tryals, and Proceedings upon Impeachment for High Treason, and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours; […] In Four Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for Timothy Goodwin, […]; John Walthoe […]; Benj[amin] Tooke […]; John Darby […]; Jacob Tonson […]; and John Walthoe Jun. […], published 1719, →OCLC, page 193, column 1I call that an Inſtitution that hath an efficacie in it for the attaining of ſuch an end by virtue of the Inſtitution, not by virtue of any naturalneſſe that is in the thing. [...] So in preaching the Word, and Eccleſiaſticall cenſures, there is more to be expected, more efficacie to work upon the ſoule, for the ſpirituall man; by virtue of the Inſtitution, then there is in the naturall things that are done there.
1642 July 27, Jer[emiah] Burroughes [i.e., Jeremiah Burroughs], “The Sixth Lecture. Hosea I. the middle of the 11. Verse.”, in An Exposition of the Prophecie of Hosea. […], London: Printed by W. E. and J. G. for R. Dawlman, published 1643, →OCLC, page 151[Samuel Keme] became [...] a retainer, if I miſtake not, to the family of Edward Wray of Ricot Eſq, Patron of the ſaid Church, by virtue of his marriage with Elizabeth the dau[ghter] and heir of Francis L[ord] Norris Earl of Berks[hire].
1691, [Anthony Wood], “SAMUEL KEME”, in Athenæ Oxonienses. An Exact History of All the Writers and Bishops who have had Their Education in the Most Ancient and Famous University of Oxford from the Fifteenth Year of King Henry the Seventh, Dom. 1500, to the End of the Year 1690. […], volume II (Completing the Whole Work), London: […] Tho[mas] Bennet […], →OCLC, column 341[W]e found there was but one way; Don Clavijo ſhould demand the young lady in marriage before the curate, by virtue of a promiſe under her hand, which I dictated for the purpoſe, and ſo binding, that all the ſtrength of Sampſon himſelf could not have broken the tie.
1749, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, “The Account which the Disconsolate Matron Gives of Her Misfortune”, in [Peter Anthony] Motteux, transl., edited by [John] Ozell, The History of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha. […], 8th edition, volume IV, London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC, part II, pages 32–33Synonyms: based on, due to, in virtue of, on account of, along of, because, because of, as a consequence of
Synonyms & antonyms
preposition(originally) By the authority or power of; (now) because of; on the grounds of; by reason of.
Origin
- Old Frenchvertu“goodness; honour; valour; virtue”
- Middle Frenchpar la vertu de“by the authority of”
- Anglo-Normanpar vertu de
- Middle Englishin vertu of
- Englishby virtue of
Modification of Middle English in vertu of, a calque of Anglo-Norman par vertu de or Middle French par la vertu de (“by the authority of”); from Old French vertu (“goodness; honour; valour; virtue”) (whence English virtue (“(obsolete) inherent power of a god or other supernatural being; inherent power or efficacy of something”)).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَلَى أَسَاس, بِفَضْل
- عَلَى أَسَاس (ʕalā ʔasās)because of
- بِفَضْل (bifaḍl)because of
- بِمُقْتْضَى (bimuqtḍā)because of
- بِسَبَبّ (bisababb)because of
- اِسْتِنَادًا إِلَى (istinādan ʔilā)because of
Danish i kraft af
- i kraft afbecause of
French en vertu de, étant donné
- en vertu debecause of
- étant donnébecause of
- eu égard àbecause of
- vubecause of
German aufgrund, wegen
- aufgrundbecause of
- wegenbecause of
- vermögebecause of
Hungarian révén, folytán
- révénbecause of
- folytánbecause of
Irish de thairbhe
- de thairbhebecause of
Italian in virtù di
- in virtù dibecause of
Persian به سبب
- به سبب (be sabab-e)because of
Polish z racji, z uwagi na
- z racjibecause of
- z uwagi nabecause of
Portuguese em virtude de
- em virtude debecause of
Russian на основании, в силу
- на основании (na osnovanii)because of
- в силу (v silu)because of
- всле́дствие (vslédstvije)because of
Spanish por virtud de, a fuer de
- por virtud debecause of
- a fuer debecause of
Swedish i kraft av
- i kraft avbecause of
Cite this entry
by virtue of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20virtue%20of
“by virtue of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20virtue%20of. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by virtue of,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20virtue%20of.
Source: by virtue of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.