Virtue
A virtue is an action, personality type, or character trait universally accepted to be wholesome and ideal in nature. Examples of virtues are: Honesty, Respect, Trustworthiness, Empathy and Chivalry. A virtuous person is one of high moral standards.
Christianity
St Paul identified the three greatest virtues as faith, hope and love (or charity - the word caritas can be translated either way). In Christian tradition, these are often known as the three theological virtues, and listed alongside four other cardinal virtues:
- justice
- fortitude (or moral courage)
- temperance
- prudence (or wisdom)[1].
This gives a total of seven virtues to match the Seven Deadly Sins; contrasting portrayals of the sins and virtues are common in religious art. As with the Seven Deadly Sins, there is no express biblical basis for the four cardinal virtues, although the Bible does contain numerous examples of virtuous men and women displaying each one.
Before the twentieth century, a common meaning of "virtue" was as a euphemism for virginity. This usage is common in the writings of Shakespeare and many other pre-modern authors.
