virtue signalling
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virtue signalling
- /ˈvɜɹtʃu sɪɡnəlɪŋ/ US
- [ˈvɝtʃ-] US
Where it comes from
Initially used in academic works about religion to refer to ostentatious public displays of religiosity. Popularised by James Bartholomew in an April 2015 article in the British conservative magazine The Spectator.
noun virtue signaling · virtue-signalling · virtue-signaling
-
The practice of expressing a particular opinion or performing a particular action in an attempt to make oneself look virtuous: commonly defensively in response to, or anticipation of, criticism; or aggressively, in assuming a moral posture in attacking an opponent.
People of poor personal character may mistake all virtue for virtue signalling because they cannot even imagine anyone truly having the relevant virtues but they are quite familiar with the concept of pretending to have traits for malevolent reasons.
Opposite: vice signalling
verb virtue signaling · virtue-signalling · virtue-signaling
- present participle and gerund of virtue signal
Translations
Every language
noun expressing an opinion to make oneself look virtuous
| Español | postureo ético, alardeo moral |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 道德表演 dàodé biǎoyǎn |
| Português | sinalização de virtude |
| Français | vertu ostentatoire, bien-pensance ostentatoire, vertu de façade, tartufferie, pharisaïsme |
| Deutsch | die Flagge zeigen (moralische), Tugendschau, den Heiligenschein aufsetzen |
| العربية | رِيَاء riyāʔ |
Talk about this word "virtue signalling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/virtue%20signalling. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. virtue signalling. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/virtue%20signalling "virtue signalling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/virtue%20signalling.Cite this
@misc{virtue_signalling_2026,
title = {virtue signalling},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/virtue%20signalling},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
