Virtus
“Virtue, courage, excellence.”
Latin word; Roman ideal and deity
What does “Virtus” mean?
Virtus translates as “Virtue, courage, excellence.”
For the Romans, virtus meant the qualities of a good person: courage, strength of character and integrity. It is the root of the English word ‘virtue’.
“Virtus” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Virtus | virtue, courage, excellence | nominative singular (feminine) of virtus, virtutis, “virtue, manliness, courage”; a third-declension noun that appears here as a single word, not a sentence |
How to pronounce “Virtus”
Classical Latin pronounces v as English w, so the first syllable is “wir”; the Church pronunciation uses a plain v. In both, the stress falls on the first syllable.
The story behind it
Virtus is a single noun, so there is no sentence to translate. It comes from vir, “man”, and originally meant the qualities expected of a man: courage, strength and steadiness, above all in war.
Over time the word widened. Roman writers used it for moral excellence in general, including integrity and self-command, and this wider sense is the one that passed into English as “virtue”.
The Romans also worshipped Virtus as a goddess, shown with helmet and spear and often paired with Honos, the god of honour. Today the single word is popular as a motto, tattoo or name because it packs courage and character into one noun.
How to use “Virtus”
Suits a one-word tattoo, a family or personal motto, an engraved gift, or a caption for a photo about courage or strength of character. As a bare noun it also works as a short title or heading.
- Latin
- Virtus
- English
- Virtue, courage, excellence.
- Source
- Latin word; Roman ideal and deity
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Character
Common mistakes
- It does not mean “virtue” in the narrow modern sense of purity or chastity. For Romans it was closer to courage and excellence.
- Virtus is grammatically feminine even though it comes from vir, “man”, so any adjective used with it must take feminine endings.
- The plural is virtutes, and the genitive (“of virtue”) is virtutis; changing the ending changes the grammar, so do not alter the word casually for a tattoo.
- Do not confuse it with vitus or vis (“force, strength”), which look similar but are different words.
Questions about “Virtus”
What does “Virtus” mean in Latin?
It means virtue, courage and excellence. For the Romans it covered the qualities of a good person: bravery, strength of character and integrity.
How do you pronounce “Virtus”?
In Classical Latin it is WIR-toos, with the stress on the first syllable. In Church Latin it is VEER-toos.
Was “Virtus” a Roman god?
Yes. Virtus was worshipped as a goddess, shown with helmet and spear, and she was often linked with Honos, the god of honour.
Is “Virtus” a good single word for a tattoo?
Yes, it is correct Latin and widely used. Just keep the spelling exactly as Virtus, since changing the ending would turn it into a different grammatical form.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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