Standard Lemma guide

arete

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈæɹɪtiː/
  • /ˈɑɹɪteɪ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

excellence, goodness; virtue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The proper state or condition for a human.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Alternative spelling of arête.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ridge, ridgeline

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀρετή (aretḗ).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: hyve — virtue, excellence
  • Greek: αρετή (aretí) — virtue, excellence
  • Ancient Greek: ἀρετή (aretḗ) — virtue, excellence
  • Hebrew: סְגֻלָּה (sgulá) — virtue, excellence
  • Indonesian: kebajikan — virtue, excellence
  • Indonesian: keutamaan — virtue, excellence
  • Portuguese: areté — virtue, excellence
  • Portuguese: aretê — virtue, excellence
  • Russian: арете́ (areté) — virtue, excellence
  • Tamil: அறன் (aṟaṉ) — virtue, excellence
  • Tamil: அறம் (aṟam) — virtue, excellence