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

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

Sometimes it’s a box of cinnamon-sugar doughnuts that are technically a day old but spiritually perfect.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Co-first author Alexandra Beaudry-Richard, MSc, said the findings suggest that low but technically normal B12 could have broader effects than previously recognized.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

Land ownership in Barbuda is collective, meaning that individual citizens have the right to occupy a plot of land by applying for a lease, but technically, they do not privately own it.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

A few private companies are making fast-moving, technically complex decisions that carry significant public consequences.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

I scrambled for a plunger and used the handle to break the turd into manageable pieces, all the while thinking that it wasn't fair, that this was technically not my job.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris