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
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
In the 2020 presidential election, Natural Law candidate Rocky De La Fuente received just shy of 3,000 votes in Michigan, or 0.05% of the vote, although Kennedy's name recognition is virtually guaranteed to garner his campaign more votes.
—
Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Ye continued his education virtually through the county’s Online Pathways to Graduation program, the spokesman said.
—Dan Morse, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden would be virtually guaranteed to veto it.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2024
By this standard, virtually every socioeconomically disadvantaged kid admitted to one of these prestigious, highly endowed colleges is a success.
—Evan Mandery, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
In recent years, collectible packaging, particularly in the form of multicolored vinyl, has become de rigueur for virtually any major artist hoping for a No. 1 debut, from Olivia Rodrigo and Beyoncé to Harry Styles and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
In the event, the figure was a paper gain of about $5 billion for him, virtually pure profit.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
This was very much the case for Raspe’s novel, as his Munchausen was based on a still-living person with virtually the same name.
—Rosemary Counter, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Weird, because there’s virtually no dialogue in that movie.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Ye continued his education virtually through the county’s Online Pathways to Graduation program, the spokesman said.
—Dan Morse, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden would be virtually guaranteed to veto it.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2024
By this standard, virtually every socioeconomically disadvantaged kid admitted to one of these prestigious, highly endowed colleges is a success.
—Evan Mandery, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
In recent years, collectible packaging, particularly in the form of multicolored vinyl, has become de rigueur for virtually any major artist hoping for a No. 1 debut, from Olivia Rodrigo and Beyoncé to Harry Styles and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
In the event, the figure was a paper gain of about $5 billion for him, virtually pure profit.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
This was very much the case for Raspe’s novel, as his Munchausen was based on a still-living person with virtually the same name.
—Rosemary Counter, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Weird, because there’s virtually no dialogue in that movie.
—John Hodgman, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'virtually.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Virtually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtually. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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