great virtue; outstanding virtue
Rare, formal term for exceptional moral excellence or virtue, typically found in classical or literary contexts.
His life was praised as a model of great virtue.
Classical texts contain many words extolling the great virtue of rulers.
Standard kanji form for this rare term; 偉 means 'great' and 徳 means 'virtue'.
Variant kanji form using 懿 (excellent, virtuous); even rarer than 偉徳.
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.