virtual assistant
Americannoun
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a person, as a freelance office assistant, who works remotely in an administrative role.
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voice assistant, digital assistant. Digital Technology. a device or piece of software that can perform basic tasks and answer some questions in response to spoken natural language, often following a command or prompt.
Etymology
Origin of virtual assistant
First recorded in 2000–05 virtual assistant for def. 1, and in 2010–15 virtual assistant for def. 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Financial stocks, including consumer banks large and small, slid last week following Meta Platforms’s release of its Muse virtual assistant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
At its developers conference Monday, Apple executives showed how the more conversational virtual assistant Siri AI can help people get more done.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Microsoft, which years ago shelved its widely-disliked Clippy paperclip virtual assistant, has also unveiled a new cartoon character for its AI assistant Copilot.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
In early 2025, Bisha agreed to lend her face and voice to a virtual assistant for an online government services portal -- aimed at helping people navigate bureaucracy.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
For a virtual assistant, she’s got good taste, although she wasn’t a fan of the high-top sneakers.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
