virtual.
In effect or essence, rather than in fact or reality; also, imitated, simulated.
Meaning & usage
In effect or essence, rather than in fact or reality; also, imitated, simulated.
In fact a defeat on the battlefield, Tet was a virtual victory for the North, owing to its effect on public opinion.
Virtual addressing allows computer applications to believe that there is much more physical memory than actually exists.
For practical purposes, though not technically; almost complete, very near.
The angry peasants were a virtual army as they attacked the castle.
Operating using a computer and/or online rather than physically present.
a virtual assistant a virtual personal trainer
Simulated in a computer and/or online.
virtual machine virtual memory virtual private network
The virtual world of his computer game allowed character interaction.
Of a class member: capable of being overridden with a different implementation in a subclass.
Pertaining to a theoretical infinitesimal velocity in a mechanical system that does not violate the system's constraints; also, of other physical quantities: resulting from such a velocity.
virtual displacement virtual work
Pertaining to a theoretical quality of something which would produce an observable effect if counteracting factors such as friction are disregarded; specifically, of a head of water: producing a certain pressure if friction, etc., is disregarded.
Chiefly in virtual focus: of a focus or point: from which light or other radiation apparently emanates; also, of an image: produced by light that appears to diverge from a point beyond the reflecting or refracting surface.
Pertaining to particles in temporary existence due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
Of a quantum state: having an intermediate, short-lived, and unobservable nature.
Having efficacy or power due to some natural qualities.
Having efficacy or power due to some natural qualities. Of a plant or other thing: having strong healing powers; virtuous.
Having the power of acting without the agency of some material or measurable thing; possessing invisible efficacy.
Producing, or able to produce, some result; effective, efficacious.
Synonym of virtuous (“full of virtue; having excellent moral character”).
Where this word comes from
PIE word *wiHrós The adjective is derived from Middle English vertual, virtual [and other forms], from Old French vertüal, vertüelle (modern French virtuel), or from their etymon Medieval Latin virtuālis (“of or pertaining to potency or power; having power to produce an effect, potent; morally virtuous”), from Latin virtūs (“goodness, virtue; manliness, virility”) (from vir (“adult male, man”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“man”), possibly from *weyh₁- (“to chase, hunt, pursue”)) + -tūs (suffix forming collective or abstract nouns)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship), modelled after virtuōsus (“good, virtuous”). Sense 4 (“pertaining to a theoretical infinitesimal velocity in a mechanical system that does not violate the system’s constraints”) is borrowed from French virtuel, from Middle French virtuel, from Old French vertüal, vertüelle: see above. The noun is derived from the adjective. Cognates * French virtuel * Italian virtuale * Spanish virtual
Preceded by the: that which is imitated or simulated rather than existing in fact or reality; (countable) an instance of this.
Preceded by the: that which is imitated or simulated rather than existing in fact or reality; (countable) an instance of this. That which is simulated in a computer and/or online; virtual reality; (countable) an instance of this; specifically (gambling), a computer simulation of a real-world sport such as horse racing.
A virtual (adjective sense 3.3) member function of a class.
Where this word comes from
PIE word *wiHrós The adjective is derived from Middle English vertual, virtual [and other forms], from Old French vertüal, vertüelle (modern French virtuel), or from their etymon Medieval Latin virtuālis (“of or pertaining to potency or power; having power to produce an effect, potent; morally virtuous”), from Latin virtūs (“goodness, virtue; manliness, virility”) (from vir (“adult male, man”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós (“man”), possibly from *weyh₁- (“to chase, hunt, pursue”)) + -tūs (suffix forming collective or abstract nouns)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship), modelled after virtuōsus (“good, virtuous”). Sense 4 (“pertaining to a theoretical infinitesimal velocity in a mechanical system that does not violate the system’s constraints”) is borrowed from French virtuel, from Middle French virtuel, from Old French vertüal, vertüelle: see above. The noun is derived from the adjective. Cognates * French virtuel * Italian virtuale * Spanish virtual
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.