make a virtue of necessity

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make a virtue of necessity

To attend to an obligation with a good attitude; to make the best of a situation in which one is required to do something. There will be many times in your life where you have to do something you don't want to, so it's best to learn very early how to make a virtue of necessity.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

make a virtue of necessity

Prov. to do what you have to do cheerfully or willingly. When Bill's mother became sick, there was no one but Bill to take care of her, so Bill made a virtue of necessity and resolved to enjoy their time together.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

make a virtue of necessity

Do the best one can under given circumstances, as in Since he can't break the contract, Bill's making a virtue of necessity. This expression first appeared in English in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale: "Then is it wisdom, as it thinketh me, to make virtue of necessity." Also see make the best of.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

make a virtue of necessity

derive some credit or benefit from an unwelcome obligation.

This is a concept found in Latin in the writings of St Jerome: facis de necessitate virtutem ‘you make a virtue of necessity’. It passed into Old French (faire de necessité vertu ) and was apparently first used in English around 1374 by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde.

1997 Spectator How important it is for humanity always to make a virtue out of necessity.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

make a ˌvirtue of neˈcessity

act in a good or moral way, and perhaps expect praise for this, not because you chose to but because in that particular situation you had no choice

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

make a virtue of necessity, to

To make the best of things. This expression dates from the time of Chaucer, who may have been its originator in English (“Thanne is it wisdom, as it thinketh me, To maken virtu of necessitie,” The Knight’s Tale); there are still earlier versions in Latin. It has been repeated ever since. See also make the best of it.