source: By Raphael - See below., Public Domain

1. behavior showing high moral standards:

｟かたく｠ 善, 徳, 美徳(goodness)(↔ vice)

e.g. paragons of virtue.

a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person:

(個々の特に道徳上の)美点, 徳目

e.g. patience is a virtue.

a good or useful quality of a thing:

(物･事の)長所, 利点(advantage)

e.g. Mike was extolling the virtues of the car

e.g. there's no virtue in suffering in silence.

archaic virginity or chastity, especially of a woman.

｟古｠ (女性の)貞節, 貞操

2. (virtues) (in traditional Christian angelology) the seventh highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.

〖～s〗 〘神〙 力天使〘天使9階級中の第5位; → angel 1 〙

by virtue of (or in virtue of)

because or as a result of.

derive benefit or advantage from submitting to (an unwelcome obligation or unavoidable circumstance).

virtueless adjective

Middle English: from Old French vertu, from Latin virtus ‘valor, merit, moral perfection’, from vir ‘man’.