virtual

• vertual, virtuall (obsolete)
• vertuall (obsolete, rare)

From Middle English vertual, virtual, from Medieval Latin virtuālis, from virtus (“virtue”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜːtʃuəl/, /ˈvɜːtʃəl/

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɝt͡ʃuəl/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈvɵːtʃuəl/, /ˈvɵːtʃəl/, [ˈvɵːtʃɯ(l)]
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tʃuəl, -ɜːtʃəl
• Hyphenation: vir‧tu‧al, vir‧tual

virtual (not comparable)

1. In effect or essence, if not in fact or reality; 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 applications to believe that there is much more physical memory than actually exists.

   • 1840, Thomas De Quincey, “Style”, in Critical Suggestions on Style and Rhetoric with German Tales and Other Narrative Papers (De Quincey’s Works; XI), London: James Hogg & Sons, published 1859, OCLC 6497971, part I, page 165:

     And the true art for such popular display is to contrive the best forms for appearing to say something new, when in reality you are but echoing yourself; to break up massy chords into running variations; and to mask, by slight differences in the manner, a virtual identity in the substance.

   • c. 1869, William Fleming, Vocabulary of Philosophy: Moral, Ethical, Metaphysical

     A thing has a virtual existence when it has all the conditions necessary to its actual existence.

2. Having the power of acting or of invisible efficacy without the agency of the material or measurable part; potential.
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], OCLC 1044372886:

     Heat and cold have a virtual transition, without communication of substance.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Every kind that lives, / Fomented by his virtual power and warmed.

3. Nearly, almost. (A relatively recent development in meaning)

   The angry peasants were a virtual army as they attacked the castle.

   • 2012, Chelsea 6-0 Wolves

     The Chelsea captain was a virtual spectator as he was treated to his side's biggest win for almost two years as Stamford Bridge serenaded him with chants of "there's only one England captain," some 48 hours after he announced his retirement from international football.

4. Simulated in a computer or online.

   The virtual world of his computer game allowed character interaction.

5. Operating by computer or in cyberspace; not physically present.
   • 2020 August 10, Abigail Abrams, “Tech Companies Are Transforming People’s Bedrooms Into ‘Virtual Hospitals.’ Will It Last Post-COVID?”, in Time‎:

     In recent months, hospitals around the country, looking for ways to free up beds for coronavirus patients, began expanding their virtual offerings, launching video doctors’ visits and virtual therapy sessions, and rolling out programs to remotely monitor vulnerable patients, like those in nursing homes.

   a virtual assistant    a virtual personal trainer

6. (computing, object-oriented programming, of a class member) Capable of being overridden with a different implementation in a subclass.
7. (physics) Pertaining to particles in temporary existence due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

• (in effect or essence): de facto

• real

• virtual reality
• virtuality
• virtually

virtual (plural virtuals)

1. (computing, programming) A virtual member function of a class.
2. (gambling) A computer simulation of a real-world sport such as horse racing.

From Medieval Latin virtuālis.

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /viɾ.tuˈal/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /bir.tuˈal/

virtual (masculine and feminine plural virtuals)

1. virtual (in effect or essence, if not in fact or reality)

• virtualitat
• virtualitzar
• virtualment

• “virtual” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “virtual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “virtual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “virtual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

virtual

1. Alternative form of vertual

From Medieval Latin virtuālis.

• IPA^(key): /virˈtɥal/

virtual

1. virtual

Borrowed from Medieval Latin virtuālis.

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: vir‧tu‧al

virtual m or f (plural virtuais)

1. virtual (in effect or essence, not in fact or reality)
2. virtual (simulated in a computer)

• virtualidade
• virtualizar
• virtualmente

• “virtual” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

From French virtuel.

virtual m or n (feminine singular virtuală, masculine plural virtuali, feminine and neuter plural virtuale)

1. virtual

• realitate virtuală

• virtualitate

From Medieval Latin virtuālis.

• IPA^(key): /biɾˈtwal/ [biɾˈt̪wal]

• Audio (Colombia)

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• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: vir‧tual

virtual (plural virtuales)

1. virtual

• máquina virtual
• realidad virtual
• virtualidad
• virtualmente

• “virtual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014