noun
great virtue; outstanding virtue
Rare, formal term for exceptional moral excellence or virtue, typically found in classical or literary contexts.
彼の生涯は偉徳の鑑と称えられた。
His life was praised as a model of great virtue.
古典には君主の偉徳を讃える言葉が多い。
Classical texts contain many words extolling the great virtue of rulers.
Composed of 偉 (great, admirable) and 徳 (virtue, moral excellence). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term appears in classical Chinese-influenced Japanese texts.