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

• 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

Daniel is virtually beaming at his kid as the two of them casually banter. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025

Some lucky fans may get the opportunity to virtually meet actor Heo Nam-joon, who appears in Your Honor, The Matchmakers, Snowdrop, and the upcoming drama A Hundred Memories. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

In virtually any likely end-of-war scenario, Ukraine will remain a hostile, Western-armed neighbor—a permanent sucking wound on Russia’s western flank. —Jeremy Shapiro, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025

Although these five harbor the most pesticide residues, the toxicity of the residues is virtually nil. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1b