Meanings
plural virtuosities
- countableuncountableThe technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso.
Greek art and culture, which had become international, degenerated to mere virtuosity, empty of any ideal.
1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 931 more example
At any rate, there is fun to be had not only from the De Vriesian virtuosity in pun and parody, but in following his literally incredible plot.
1959 July 19, A. C. Spectorsky, “In Decency, Conn.: The Tents of Wickedness. By Peter De Vries. […]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Mar 2026 - countableuncountableLovers of the elegant arts as a class.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*weyh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*wiHrós
- Proto-Italic*wiros
- Latinvir
- Latinvirtūs
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Late Latinvirtuōsu
- Italianvirtuoso
- Englishvirtuoso
- Englishvirtuosity
From virtuoso + -ity (“quality of”); the terminal -o drops out. Compare Middle English vertuosite (“virtuous quality or character”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian виртуозност
- виртуозност (virtuoznost)technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Catalan virtuosisme
- virtuosismetechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Esperanto bravuro
- bravurotechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Finnish mestaruus, mestarillisuus
- mestaruustechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- mestarillisuustechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- virtuositeettitechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- taituruustechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
French virtuosité
- virtuositétechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Irish rímháistreacht
- rímháistreachttechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Italian virtuosità
- virtuositàtechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Polish wirtuozeria, wirtuozostwo
- wirtuozeriatechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- wirtuozostwotechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- wirtuozerstwotechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- wirtuozjatechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Romanian virtuozitate, măiestrie
- virtuozitatetechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
- măiestrietechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Russian виртуозность
- виртуозность (virtuoznostʹ)technical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Slovak virtuozita
- virtuozitatechnical skills and fluent style of a virtuoso
Cite this entry
virtuosity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virtuosity
“virtuosity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virtuosity. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “virtuosity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/virtuosity.
Source: virtuosity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.