- in effect though not in fact; practically; nearly
- using computers or the internet
- using the technique of virtual reality
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
vir•tu•al•ly
(vûr′cho̅o̅ ə lē),USA pronunciation adv.
- for the most part;
almost wholly;
just about:He is virtually unknown.
- 1400–50; late Middle English; see virtual, -ly
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
virtually /ˈvɜːtʃʊəlɪ/ adv
vir•tu•al /ˈvɜrtʃuəl/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- being (the noun stated) in force or effect, though not actually or expressly such:[before a noun]They were reduced to virtual poverty.
- Computingtemporarily simulated or extended by computer software:virtual memory on a hard disk.
vir•tu•al
(vûr′cho̅o̅ əl),USA pronunciation adj.
vir′tu•al′i•ty, n.
- being such in power, force, or effect, though not actually or expressly such:a virtual dependence on charity.
- [Optics.]
- Opticsnoting an image formed by the apparent convergence of rays geometrically, but not actually, prolonged, as the image formed by a mirror (opposed to real).
- Opticsnoting a focus of a system forming virtual images.
- Computingtemporarily simulated or extended by computer software:a virtual disk in RAM; virtual memory on a hard disk.
- Medieval Latin virtuālis, equivalent. to Latin virtu(s) virtue + -ālis -al1
- Middle English 1350–1400
'virtually' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Agadir
- good
- intent
- kopeck
- practically
- Stealth bomber
- synarthrosis
- affectless
- all-in
- bag
- Basel-Stadt
- breath
- but
- chestnut
- comma
- communalism
- compatible
- diesel engine
- effect
- hill of beans
- immoral
- -ing
- kill shot
- kuru
- literally
- living fossil
- Manx
- morally
- nude mouse
- powerless
- redhibition
- Ruanda
- Rundi
- wall
- want
- squelch