virtually

adverb

vir·​tu·​al·​ly ˈvər-chə-wə-lē 

-chə-lē;

ˈvərch-wə-lē

1

a

: almost entirely : nearly

The project is virtually complete.

Virtually every applicant was overqualified for the job.

b

: for all practical purposes

She was virtually unknown prior to starring in the film.

It is virtually impossible to know the truth of the matter.

2

: by means of a computer or computer network : in a virtual location

The meeting is being held virtually.

They did all their shopping virtually.

Synonyms of virtually

• practically
• almost
• nearly

Examples of virtually in a Sentence

We spent virtually all day shopping.

The stadium was virtually empty by the time the game ended.

I remember virtually everything he said.

That illness is virtually unknown in this area.

Recent Examples on the Web

An intuitive physical dial makes on-the-fly volume adjustments effortless, and with a battery lasting up to 100 hours between charges, downtime is virtually non-existent. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Some of the furniture was virtually staged, but the raw brick walls are what a buyer will find, said Corrin Thomas, the listing agent. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026

The safety’s second interception — which came on the following drive — virtually sealed the game for the Bruins, giving them possession with a seven-point lead that soon turned into a 14-point advantage after Knight’s third score of the evening. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Raising state school funding enough to meaningfully cut property taxes would be virtually impossible without a major state tax increase, which Bailey opposes. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1b