Phrase guide

make a virtue of necessity

verb · 1 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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1

verb

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: z nouze ctnost — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Dutch: van de nood een deugd maken — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • German: aus der Not eine Tugend machen — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Greek: κάνω την ανάγκη φιλοτιμία (káno tin anágki filotimía) — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Hungarian: a maga javára fordítja — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Italian: fare di necessità virtù — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Spanish: hacer de la necesidad virtud — to make the best of a difficult situation
  • Swedish: göra en dygd av nödvändigheten — to make the best of a difficult situation