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Glite Dictionary
to make a virtue of necessity

to make a virtue of necessity

1 8.2
To find the good side in something you cannot avoid
  • idiom
translation icon : sacar provecho de la necesidad
  • Similarly, to praise the weak for not doing what they cannot do is to make a virtue of necessity, which Nietzsche attributes to the weak's "sublime self-deception that interprets weakness as freedom, and their being thus-and-thus as a merit."

Examples

  • After losing his job, he decided to make a virtue of necessity and focus on his passion for painting.

  • I must guard against making a virtue of necessity, guard against the sin of righteousness.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • What if, by a strategic suspension of disbelief, these parents could make a virtue of necessity?

    Blog text (5)

  • As he acceded to Lippincott's demands, Edel made a virtue of necessity.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The ideas implicit in a testimony like Orinell's undoubtedly reflect an attempt to make a virtue of necessity—to find meaning in a polemical atmosphere.

    Academic text (2018)

  • In tough times, she learned to make a virtue of necessity by starting her own business.

  • The team had to make a virtue of necessity by working with a limited budget to create a successful campaign.

Synonyms

to look on the bright side
vsto make a virtue of necessity
  • Informal
30 3.7

Try to find something positive in a bad situation

focuses on gaining advantage rather than just noticing positives
to play the hand one is dealt
vsto make a virtue of necessity
1 6.7

To accept what you cannot change and make the best of it

focuses on gaining an advantage from an obliged situation
to turn to good account
vsto make a virtue of necessity
  • Archaic
5.1

To use something in a way that gives you good results

emphasises finding advantage in a situation one must face

Antonyms

to complain
∞ 1.0

To say you are unhappy about something and want it changed

to resist
61 3.0

Hold up against stains, heat or storms

How Positive

to make a virtue of necessity
1 8.2
to make do
49 3.7
to accept
∞ 3.5
to complain
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

make a virtue of necessity infinitive
made a virtue of necessity past
made a virtue of necessity past participle
making a virtue of necessity present participle
makes a virtue of necessity third person singular

Morphology

make + a + virtue + of + necessity

The components ('make' + 'virtue' + 'necessity') hint at turning something necessary into a positive quality, so a learner who knows the words can get a general idea. However the phrase is a metaphorical idiom whose specific sense — to profit from or positively adapt to an unavoidable situation — is not fully predictable without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Make a virtue of necessity gives a simple picture: someone who is forced to do something, the necessity, calls it a good thing, a virtue. So, it means 'to find a good side or advantage in something you have to do'.