technically

American  

[tek-nik-lee] / ˈtɛk nɪk li /

adverb

1. in a way that is peculiar to a certain specialized field of study or activity.

   The part of the body that relates to the saddle on a conventional machine is technically termed the perineum.

2. with regard to the detailed formal skills and competencies expected in the practice of a particular art or sport.

   There are many artists who study hard and become technically proficient, but they don't touch people in the way that a few great artists have.

3. in a way that relies on a strict interpretation of words or rules.

   Today (well, technically yesterday, as it's now 3 a.m.) I went to the immigration office to see what was holding things up.

4. in a way that has to do with technology or the trades as opposed to academics or the arts.

   If you are technically inclined, you can build a lighting system yourself with some good LED lights and a car battery.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hypertechnically
  adverb
• pretechnically
  adverb
• overtechnically
  adverb
• untechnically
  adverb
• quasi-technically
  adverb
• nontechnically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of technically

technical ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Something technically true is actually, really true or correct but it may not be the way people think about it. For example, although people call a tomato a vegetable, technically it’s a fruit. A birth father may technically be your father — according to a DNA test — but if you've lived with a stepfather your whole life, he’s your dad. Things that are technically true fulfill some exact requirement. Technically, a swing set might be in your neighbor’s yard, but since their kids are grown up, they consider it yours.

Example Sentences

This was a classic US Open that tested every aspect of the game, technically and mentally.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Creating one is technically difficult for several reasons.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026

First, a confession for you purists: I didn’t technically start at the “tippity top” of the island.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

State Street’s fund is technically set up as an unit investment trust, which pays dividends quarterly.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

She’d technically clocked out four hours earlier, but there was still so much pain around her—so many hands to hold, so many shoulders to pat, so many sick and dying people to pray over.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix