virtuoso

noun

vir·​tu·​o·​so ˌvər-chü-ˈō-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-(ˌ)zō
plural virtuosos or virtuosi ˌvər-chü-ˈō-(ˌ)sē How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-(ˌ)zē
1
: one who excels in the technique of an art
Hailed far and wide as a virtuoso, perhaps the greatest glass artist of the 20th century …Jon Krakauer
especially : a highly skilled musical performer
a piano/violin virtuoso
a jazz virtuoso
But the heart of the program was Beethoven, the Quartet in E Minor, Opus 59, No. 2, "Razoumovsky." This is where the modern string quartet begins, quartets that became the property of virtuosos instead of amateurs … Ken Keaton
2
: a person who has exceptional skill, expertise, or talent at some endeavor
… instances in which young computer virtuosos occasionally cross the legal boundaries of remote computer systems.Scott Mace
Although hockey has been more team-oriented than any other major sport, through the years there have been virtuosos who packed the houses.Stan Fischler
3
: a person interested in the pursuit of knowledge in some specialized field and especially in the arts and sciences
[Samuel] Pepys was a characteristic product of his day, a virtuoso, a man sympathetic to every new trend in science and scholarship.William Matthews
4
: a person interested in or having a taste for the fine arts
In the eighteenth century, rich "virtuosos" like Richard Payne Knight and his friend Charles Townley assembled vast collections of everything from Roman sculpture to skewered beetles …Walter Kendrick
virtuoso adjective
a virtuoso cellist
virtuoso performances
Canto LXXX … provides a particularly virtuoso example of the poet's ear for dialects and languages. Richard Sieburth

Did you know?

English speakers borrowed the Italian noun virtuoso in the 1600s, but the Italian word had a former life as an adjective meaning both "virtuous" and "skilled." The first virtuosos (the English word can be pluralized as either virtuosos or, in the image of its Italian forbear, as virtuosi) were individuals of substantial knowledge and learning ("great wits," to quote one 17th-century clergyman). The word was then transferred to those skilled in the arts and to skilled musicians, specifically. In time, English speakers broadened virtuoso to apply to a person adept in any pursuit.

Examples of virtuoso in a Sentence

He's a real virtuoso in the kitchen.
Recent Examples on the Web An astounding virtuoso, Flores agilely played runs and held brilliant high notes. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 The host, a virtuoso in the world of olives, takes us on a sensory journey. Branded Content Contributor, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2024 The virtuoso Roman Mejia is ever the dashing hero, topping off pirouettes and twisting leaps with poses of flexed arms and fists. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 For a few years in the nineteen-seventies, progressive-rock bands filled arenas with music that emphasized grandeur and complication; even in the eighties, casual fans were expected to recognize the instrumental accomplishments of their favorite virtuosos. Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2024 Homomorphic encryption enters the stage like a virtuoso—a masterful performance of computations on encrypted data, in which privacy and precision go hand in hand. Kannan Venkatraman, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Singers who spoke with me called her a virtuoso, a miracle worker, a life saver. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 The renowned bluegrass artist and veteran fiddle virtuoso previously won the accolade in 2019 for his album, Tall Fiddler. Tricia Despres, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024 There’s China, where much of the labor came from, in Silkroad mainstay Wu Man, virtuoso on the lute-like pipa virtuoso, and suona player/percussionist Yazhi Guo. Steve Hochman, SPIN, 20 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'virtuoso.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from virtuoso, adjective, virtuous, skilled, from Late Latin virtuosus virtuous, from Latin virtus

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of virtuoso was in 1613

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Dictionary Entries Near virtuoso

Cite this Entry

“Virtuoso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtuoso. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

virtuoso

noun
vir·​tu·​o·​so ˌvər-chə-ˈwō-sō How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-zō
plural virtuosos or virtuosi -sē How to pronounce virtuoso (audio)
-zē
: a person who excels in the performance of an art
especially : a skilled musician
virtuoso adjective

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