virtually

American  

[vur-choo-uh-lee] / ˈvɜr tʃu ə li /

adverb

1. for the most part; almost wholly; just about.

   He is virtually unknown.

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virtually British  

/ ˈvɜːtʃʊəlɪ /

adverb

1. in effect though not in fact; practically; nearly

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Usage

What does virtually mean? Virtually most generally means in effect but not in fact, as in Today, virtually all cell phones are smartphones. Close synonyms are nearly, practically, and just about—they all mean virtually the same thing.Virtually is the adverb form of the adjective virtual, which is most generally used to describe something as being the same as something else in almost every way, except perhaps in name or some other minor, technical sense. For example, describing a company as a virtual monopoly means it’s pretty much a monopoly but not technically one, perhaps because it has a few minor competitors.Virtual also commonly means simulated or extended by computer software. The word is used this way in virtual reality, which refers to a fully simulated environment. To render something virtually is to create a representation or simulation of it using a computer.Sometimes, things described as virtual may not involve simulation at all, such as a virtual meeting or a virtual concert. The use of virtual in these phrases represents a more recent sense of the word that means something like “remote and via the internet” (especially when accessed via a live video feed).Virtually can be used in the same way, as in I can’t make it into the office, but I’ll be working virtually. Example: Virtually everyone agrees with the proposal—it has a 99.9% approval rating.

Etymology

Origin of virtually

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; virtual, -ly

Example Sentences

But Gu, second on the course, rescued herself in her second run, scoring 75.30 to climb into second place on the leaderboard, virtually assuring qualification for Monday's final.

From Barron's

While few dispute the potential for AI to remake the business-software sector—along with virtually every facet of the economy—most believe the impacts will be more diffuse and delayed than this week’s selloff suggested.

From The Wall Street Journal

The printing technique allows virtually any image to be encoded into the hydrogel.

From Science Daily

I love their small edge in virtually every area of the game, all of which will lead to a big upset by a 4.5-point underdog.

From Los Angeles Times

"Studies have found increasing TFA levels in remote Arctic ice-cores and our results provide the first conclusive evidence that virtually all of these deposits can be explained by these gases."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• basically
• essentially
• nearly
• practically