existing or happening on computers or the internet rather than in the physical world.
Our team holds a virtual meeting every Monday using video chat.
The students explored ancient Rome in a virtual reality lesson.
almost or nearly the thing described, but not completely or in a strict or literal sense.
With no other cars on the road, the highway felt like a virtual racetrack.
His promotion was a virtual certainty after the successful project.
(computing) created by software to act like something physical, even though it does not exist as real hardware.
The software relies on virtual memory when physical RAM is low.
Programmers created a virtual machine to test the new operating system.
almost or nearly, so that for practical purposes it is true
The huge theater was virtually empty after the rainstorm cleared the streets.
With a good GPS, it is virtually impossible to get lost in this city.
✦ From Middle English virtual + -ly, originally meaning “in essence” and later “almost, nearly.”
by means of computers, the internet, or virtual reality rather than physical presence
During the pandemic, students attended classes virtually from their bedrooms.
The architect gave a tour of the new museum virtually using a 3D model.
✦ Extended from the earlier sense of “almost” to describe actions carried out in virtual environments with computers, first recorded in the late 20th century.
