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

The climactic scenes toy with the blurred lines between hallucination and reality, but the logic falls apart; threads like Hana’s rash decision to undertake a dangerous surgical fix virtually evaporate without much payoff. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026

Congratulations to Umpire Engzell for being virtually the only person to call her out on her poor tennis behavior. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2026

Trump has also dismissed offshore wind developments as ugly, but Orsted says the Sunrise Wind project will be at least 30 miles east of Long Island’s Montauk Point, virtually unnoticeable from Long Island. —Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

The drama underscored just how thin Republicans' majority is in the House, making virtually any piece of legislation a chance for lawmakers to flex their political leverage. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1b