virtually

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   slightly short of or not quite accomplished

   Crime in the town has been virtually eliminated, but there are still a handful of complaints.

2. 2
   adv

   in essence or effect, but not in fact

   After decades of progress, we have virtually eliminated the disease.

3. 3
   adv

   Almost but not quite.

   With our Medicare supplemental insurance plan, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. (Advertisement)

4. 4
   adv

   In essence or functionally, but not in fact, formally, or technically.

   virtually a member of the family

5. 5
   adv

   Of a subgroup of finite index.

   In this case W has a diagram with 2 vertices and one edge labelled ∞, and is therefore the infinite dihedral group. Thus W is virtually ℤ.

6. 6
   adv

   Of a covering space of finite degree.

   Another class of small manifolds consists of those that are not virtually Haken (a manifold is virtually Haken if it is finitely covered by a Haken manifold).

7. 7
   adv

   By computer or in cyberspace.

Etymology

From Middle English vertually; equivalent to virtual + -ly.