Link Centre Dictionary

virtual

vir·tual

UK/ˈvɜːt͡ʃʊəl/ US/ˈvɜːt͡ʃ(ʊ)l/ fairly common

adjective

1.

being actually such in almost every respect

  • “a practical failure”
  • “the once elegant temple lay in virtual ruin”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

being such in essence or effect though not in actual fact

  • “a virtual dependence on charity”
  • “a virtual revolution”
  • “virtual reality”
Similar

Origin

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

Phrases

  • mobile virtual network operator
  • non-virtual interface
  • non-virtual interface pattern
  • pure virtual function
  • pure virtual method
  • virtual 8086 mode
  • virtual address
  • virtual assistant

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.