virtual reality

[ vur-choo-uhl ree-al-i-tee ]

/ ˈvɜr tʃu əl riˈæl ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for virtual reality on Thesaurus.com

noun Digital Technology.

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. Abbreviation: VR

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Also called ar·ti·fi·cial re·al·i·ty

[ahr-tuh-fish-uhl ree-al-i-tee] /ˈɑr təˈfɪʃ əl riˈæl ɪ ti/ .

Compare augmented reality, mixed reality. See also extended reality.

Origin of virtual reality

First recorded in 1980–85

Words nearby virtual reality

virtualize, virtually, virtual machine, virtual memory, virtual particle, virtual reality, virtual storage, virtual token, virtue, virtues, virtue signaling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use virtual reality in a sentence

Nanome streamlines this process by bringing researchers to the same virtual reality space to work on molecule development together.
Nanome raises $3 million to help scientists get up close with molecular structures in VR|Sophie Burkholder|February 9, 2021|TechCrunch
Gaming is not great for virtual reality and I don’t think it’s a tech problem, it’s an existential problem.
Virtual reality is starting to see actual gains in gaming|Noah Smith|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
Aside from the Main Street virtual venues, sponsors will also showcase new work in Sundance’s New Frontier space, which features virtual reality exhibitions.
How Sundance hopes a custom platform will help the virtual festival be as weird as the in-person version|Kristina Monllos|January 29, 2021|Digiday
It’s just that virtual reality often has to reinvent the wheel.
Virtual reality has real problems. Here’s how game developers seek to delete them.|Derek Swinhart|January 21, 2021|Washington Post

It’s a technical term for just how real your virtual reality feels.
Best VR headsets: Bring your entertainment to life|Eric Alt|January 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Then last week, it kicked $2 billion for another revenue-less company, virtual reality tech firm Oculus Rift.
Silicon Valley Thinks You’re a Fool|Daniel Gross|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fun for a Ship, it turns out, is spending time in virtual reality.
Nerdiness from Noah: Iain M. Banks and 'The Culture'|Noah Kristula-Green|April 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Though the project reads like an editorial fashion shoot, it is a complete trompe l'oeil, composed in a virtual reality.
Mary Katrantzou and Garjan Atwood, in O Sense|Lisa Larson-Walker|January 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Here are four amazing videos that show the remarkable possibilities of virtual reality and CGI.
Amazing Virtual Buildings|Michael J. Prokopow|June 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Films like Avatar show the complicated power of virtual reality, where possible applications of computer imagery are endless.
Amazing Virtual Buildings|Michael J. Prokopow|June 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The addition of virtual reality and other technical aids will enhance and potentially quicken individual decision-making ability.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman
Virtual reality is synthesized as a valid simulation of real reality.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
We give life to images, sounds, textures, to multimedia and virtual reality involving ourselves in new interactions.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
The absent in a virtual reality environment is very often as important as the present.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
Virtual reality practical experiences take full advantage of these and other clinical observations.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for virtual reality

virtual reality

noun

a computer-generated environment that, to the person experiencing it, closely resembles realityAbbreviation: VR See also virtual (def. 4)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for virtual reality

virtual reality

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.

Cultural definitions for virtual reality

virtual reality

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.)

virtual reality

Origin of virtual reality

Words nearby virtual reality

Words related to virtual reality

How to use virtual reality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for virtual reality

Scientific definitions for virtual reality

Cultural definitions for virtual reality