Virtually

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/

Definitions

1. Nearly or effectively, conveying a sense of resemblance to reality while not being completely factual
2. Almost or practically, representing a close approximation to the actual state of affairs without being entirely true
3. Essentially or significantly, indicating a level of truthfulness that approaches reality but remains slightly untrue

Etymology: "Virtually" has a surprising twist: its core sense is "in essence or effect" rather than "almost," so the modern "almost" meaning is a later extension. It comes from "virtual," which ultimately traces to Latin "virtus," meaning manliness, courage, or excellence, and later came to mean power or efficacy. A "virtual" thing was one that is effective in its operation without necessarily being the thing itself, which is why an effect could be described as "virtual" even when the underlying form was absent. The adverb was formed in Middle English as "vertually," built from the adjective "virtual" with the suffix "-ly," which turns an adjective into an adverb meaning "in the manner of." Its first sense was therefore "in virtue or effect," describing something that works as if it were true. Over time, the "almost" meaning developed from the idea that something acts as the real thing in practice, so it is nearly the same. Today, "virtually" most often means "almost" or "nearly," as in "virtually no one came," even though its earliest sense was closer to "in effect."

Synonyms: almost, nearly, practically, essentially, effectively

Antonyms: actually, completely, entirely, truly, genuinely