virtual assistant
Americannoun
-
a person, as a freelance office assistant, who works remotely in an administrative role.
-
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.
The 2026 Siri overhaul aims to turn Apple’s virtual assistant into an AI agent, complete with a separate Siri app similar to what chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude have.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
Through a virtual assistant, the insured can ask complex questions about their benefits, such as whether knee pain treatments are covered, and receive instant, cost-optimized provider recommendations, according to Lavu.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 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
Improvements to a number of Apple services - including a more personalised version of its virtual assistant, Siri - are to be powered with AI provided by Google.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 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.
