virtue signalling
/ˈvɜɹtʃu sɪɡnəlɪŋ/
virtue signalling noun: 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. Also the present participle and gerund of virtue signal.
Noun
virtue signalling (uncountable)
- 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.
- Corporate Social Responsibility as Competitive Virtue Signalling: Ethical Implications2013 January 7, “Keeping Track: Events, People on the Move, New Businesses, Good Works”, in Vancouver Sun, page C9
- Antonyms:
- vice signalling
Also used as
virtue signalling is also the present participle and gerund of virtue signal.
virtue signalling meaning in Arabic
virtue signalling in Arabic
- expressing an opinion to make oneself look virtuous
- رِيَاء riyāʔ
Antonyms of virtue signalling
Forms of virtue signalling
| alternative form | virtue signaling |
|---|---|
| alternative form | virtue-signalling |
| alternative form | virtue-signaling |
Origin of virtue signalling
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.
Words formed from virtue signalling
Questions about virtue signalling
- What does virtue signalling mean?
- Virtue signalling means 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.
- What is virtue signalling in Arabic?
- Virtue signalling in Arabic is رِيَاء (riyāʔ). See Virtue signalling meaning in Arabic.
- What part of speech is virtue signalling?
- Virtue signalling is a noun.
- How do you pronounce virtue signalling?
- Virtue signalling is pronounced /ˈvɜɹtʃu sɪɡnəlɪŋ/ (US).
Words near virtue signalling in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: virtue signalling (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: virtue signaling US.ogg.
Cite this entry: “virtue signalling.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/virtue_signalling. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.