The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word SAINTS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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More clues leading to the result SAINTS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "The virtuous aren’t" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case the virtuous aren’t = saints.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SAINTS mean?
SAINTS noun- A person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.
- (by extension) A person with positive qualities; one who does good.
- One of the blessed in heaven.
- A holy object.
- To canonize, to formally recognize someone as a saint.