Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

make a virtue of necessity

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.62 in modern English

Syllables: make a virtue of ne-ces-si-ty
IPA

39

Scrabble Score

22

Letters

4

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

Example Sentences

"Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity And live, as we do, in this wilderness?"
"Nietzsche, as I gather, regarded the slave-morality as having been invented and imposed on the world by slaves making a virtue of necessity and a religion of their servitude."

Inflected Forms

makes a virtue of necessity (present, singular) making a virtue of necessity (participle, present) made a virtue of necessity (participle, past) made a virtue of necessity (past)

Phrases

make the best of a bad bargain necessity is the mother of invention

Frequently Paired Words

make the best of a bad bargain necessity is the mother of invention

Questions

What does make a virtue of necessity mean?: To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in which one has no alternatives as an action or situation which was deliberately chosen on its merits.

How to pronounce make a virtue of necessity

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