virtual reality

American  

[vur-choo-uhl ree-al-i-tee] / ˈvɜr tʃu əl riˈæl ɪ ti /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a realistic and immersive computer simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body. VR

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virtual reality British  

noun

1.  VR.  a computer-generated environment that, to the person experiencing it, closely resembles reality See also virtual

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virtual reality Scientific  

1. A computer simulation of a real or imaginary world or scenario, in which a user may interact with simulated objects or living things in real time. More sophisticated virtual reality systems place sensors on the user's body to sense movements that are then interpreted by the system as movements in the simulated world; binocular goggles are sometimes used to simulate the appearance of objects in three dimensions.

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virtual reality Cultural  

1. The creation of images and tactile sensations by means of a computer, producing the illusion of reality. Images are often projected onto special goggles to strengthen the illusion. (See cyberspace.)

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Etymology

Origin of virtual reality

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

It was just a couple of years ago that major corporations were looking to virtual reality as the future of business, whether for internal meetings or external customer experiences.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

The company also confirmed to Barron’s that it was laying off several hundred workers in its sales, recruiting, and virtual reality divisions.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Over the next 20 years, some other disruption will have us finally embrace virtual reality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

A virtual reality HR seminar is hosted by “a computerized amalgamation of all five personalities of the Rat Pack,” an immersive Autoverse, in which actors create situations that somehow amount to a driving test.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

He was the videogame designer responsible for creating the OASIS, a massively multiplayer online game that had gradually evolved into the globally networked virtual reality most of humanity now used on a daily basis.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline