A database with virtual partitioning. A computer system used to implement the database receives a request for a database operation to be performed on data stored in a portion of the database, where the data has a group of logical partitions (e.g., tenants of a multi-tenant database), and where the portion of the database is not further physically partitioned. The computer system identifies a virtual partitioning scheme for the database operation, the virtual partitioning scheme defining sub-groups of the group of logical partitions. The computer system then performs the database operation for the sub-groups defined by the virtual partitioning scheme. Multiple virtual partitioning schemes can be active at the same time, and virtual partitioning schemes can be created dynamically in some instances.