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

It’s a technically complex industry with a handful of powerful participants.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“I had told everyone back home that Everest was not a difficult climb technically; the only problem was the lack of oxygen and the weather,” Whittaker wrote in “Life on the Edge.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The revenue comparison between the two isn’t technically apples to apples.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

So technically, I suppose the people of Zimbabwe, circa 2008, were the first trillionaires.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

“The answer to your first question is yes, technically speaking, I am R. M. Wildsmith. Or as close as anyone alive could be. The answer to the second is more complicated.”

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish