feminine virtue

Feminine virtue refers to moral qualities traditionally expected of women—chastity, modesty, gentleness, nurturing, and domestic devotion.

The phrase carries assumptions about gender roles that many now reject as restrictive or outdated.

Historically, a woman's virtue often meant specifically her sexual purity: Her feminine virtue was beyond reproach.

The concept appears in period literature and discussions of traditional values, sometimes invoked nostalgically, sometimes critically.