virtuosity
noun
vir·tu·os·i·ty
ˌvər-chü-ˈä-sə-tē 
plural virtuosities
1
: great technical skill (as in the practice of a fine art)
2
: a taste for or interest in virtu
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Virtuosity is used particularly to describe musicians, but also often for writers, actors, dancers, and athletes. A virtuoso is a highly skilled performer, and a virtuoso performance is one that astonishes the audience by its feats. In ancient Greece the cities would hold male competitions in acrobatics, conjuring, public reciting, blowing the trumpet, and acting out scenes from Homer's epics, the winners of which would have been praised as virtuous, or "full of manly virtues".
Examples of virtuosity in a Sentence
Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.
Recent Examples on the Web
The director, Frederik Louis Hviid, opens the movie with a display of self-defeating virtuosity: a robbery filmed in a single take entirely from the inside of an armored van.
—
Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Working on a relatively low budget, in isolation from Hollywood, Tregenza displays a virtuosity that is fully integrated into his comprehensive cinematic vision, his finely imagined re-creation of history, and his long-gestating complex of ideas.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Directing an Oscar-winning script by Charlie Kaufman, Gondry proves his fluid virtuosity and masterful control of image and sound after having made his mark with playful and inventive music videos for Björk, Daft Punk, the Rolling Stones, and more.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
Many bands and musicians from the 1980s hard-rock and metal scene have credited John Sykes for his underrated musicianship and virtuosity on the guitar.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virtuosity
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Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Working on a relatively low budget, in isolation from Hollywood, Tregenza displays a virtuosity that is fully integrated into his comprehensive cinematic vision, his finely imagined re-creation of history, and his long-gestating complex of ideas.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Directing an Oscar-winning script by Charlie Kaufman, Gondry proves his fluid virtuosity and masterful control of image and sound after having made his mark with playful and inventive music videos for Björk, Daft Punk, the Rolling Stones, and more.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
Many bands and musicians from the 1980s hard-rock and metal scene have credited John Sykes for his underrated musicianship and virtuosity on the guitar.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virtuosity
Cite this Entry
“Virtuosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtuosity. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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virtuosity
noun
vir·tu·os·i·ty
ˌvər-chə-ˈwäs-ət-ē
plural virtuosities
: great performing ability in the fine arts
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