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.
Mukunda referred in an email this week to the new AI-enhanced version of Siri, the virtual assistant built into Apple’s operating systems.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Alexandra Fine, a mother of three young children, spends about $85,000 a year on a team of seven that includes nannies, a home organizer, a handyman and a virtual assistant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Apple on Monday unveiled a new version of its virtual assistant Siri, to take on its artificial intelligence-powered rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
In January, the supermarket announced that it was teaming up with Google to give its virtual assistant extra features, including meal planning and sourcing ingredients from recipes uploaded by customers.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 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
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