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

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

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Etymology

Origin of technically

technical ( def. ) + -ly

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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

See Examples For:

technically

Chatham Historic Dockyard will conserve the masts, following a campaign for them to stay in Kent, as they technically remained property of the US government.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Schools built big computer-science departments with gleaming new buildings and technically trained faculty.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Even technically speaking, it is a difficult song to sing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

All 239 procedures were technically successful, meaning the intended blood vessels were successfully treated.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Though, technically speaking, Ekon noted that they still hadn’t determined their exact plan or path yet, he found he didn’t mind.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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