Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with nouns

By virtue of or of virtue?

The standard expression is by virtue of, meaning because of or through the authority of something. Of virtue alone is not a fixed equivalent.

Quick answer

Correct expression with virtue

Use by virtue of to mean because of, as a result of, or through the authority of something. Of virtue is not normally used with this meaning, although virtue can follow of in other grammatical structures.

She gained access by virtue of her position.
The law applies by virtue of the new agreement.
They succeeded by virtue of careful planning.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
by virtue of + authority

Legal or official basis

Use by virtue of to show authority, law, or official status.

He may act by virtue of his office.
2
by virtue of + cause

Reason or cause

The phrase can also mean because of or due to.

The team won by virtue of strong defence.
3
virtue of + noun

Part of the fixed expression

Virtue normally appears with by before it in this idiom.

Access was granted by virtue of membership.
4
a virtue of

Different meaning with of

Of can follow virtue in other structures, especially when virtue means a good quality.

Patience is a virtue of experienced teachers.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
by virtue of
She qualified by virtue of her experience.
Standard idiom meaning because of or through.
by virtue
By virtue alone is incomplete in modern English.
Usually requires of after virtue.
of virtue
Of virtue is not an equivalent alternative to by virtue of.
May appear in unrelated grammatical structures, not as the same idiom.
a person of virtue
He was known as a person of virtue.
Different structure where of describes character.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Omitting of after by virtue

The idiom normally includes of.

✕ She succeeded by virtue her skills. ✓ She succeeded by virtue of her skills.

Using of virtue as a substitute

Of virtue does not mean because of in standard English.

✕ He entered the club of virtue his membership. ✓ He entered the club by virtue of his membership.

Confusing virtue with virtual

Virtue is a noun meaning moral quality or advantage.

✕ They won by virtual of experience. ✓ They won by virtue of experience.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She obtained citizenship ___ virtue of marriage.
2. The phrase ___ virtue alone is usually incomplete.
3. He was admired as a person ___ virtue.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What does by virtue of mean?

It means because of, due to, or through the authority of something.

Can I say by virtue without of?

Usually no. Standard English uses the full phrase by virtue of.

Is of virtue ever correct?

Yes, in different structures such as person of virtue, but not as a replacement for by virtue of.

"behind bar" or "of bar"? "beyond description" or "of description"? by, accident, of, accident "by boat" or "of boat"? "by chance" or "of chance"? "by default", "in default" or "of default"? "by extension", "of extension" or "for extension"? "by lot" or "with lot"? by, of, for, in or agreed-upon definition? by, of, in, into or to category? by, of, in, via or on telephone? by, of, on, for or in bus?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account