virtual
adjective
vir·tu·al
ˈvər-chə-wəl 
-chəl;
ˈvərch-wəl
1
: being such in essence or effect though not formally recognized or admitted
a virtual dictator
2
: being on or simulated on a computer or computer network
print or virtual books
a virtual keyboard
: such as
a
: occurring or existing primarily online
virtual shopping
b
: of, relating to, or existing within a virtual reality
a virtual tour
3
: of, relating to, or using virtual memory
4
: of, relating to, or being a hypothetical particle whose existence is inferred from indirect evidence
virtual photons
compare real sense 3
Examples of virtual in a Sentence
The website provides a virtual tour of the stadium.
Recent Examples on the Web
Miami-Dade County schools are contracting with the Division of Administrative Hearings to review the cases, and the hearings will be mostly virtual.
—
Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Machine learning engineers resort to simulating this data, and that requires hours upon hours of virtual reenactments of real world-scenarios to create the data that will ultimately train robots and self-driving cars.
—Jason Corso, Fortune, 3 May 2026
The public school won its first lawsuit against K12, settling with the private company in 2015, and as a result, K12 had to stop marketing its Florida Virtual Academy/Program and its acronym FLVA/P, which the public virtual school said was too similar to its name and FLVS acronym.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The surge in fuel prices comes as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor that typically moves about 20 million barrels of oil per day, remains at a virtual standstill due to the ongoing conflict.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for virtual
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Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Machine learning engineers resort to simulating this data, and that requires hours upon hours of virtual reenactments of real world-scenarios to create the data that will ultimately train robots and self-driving cars.
—Jason Corso, Fortune, 3 May 2026
The public school won its first lawsuit against K12, settling with the private company in 2015, and as a result, K12 had to stop marketing its Florida Virtual Academy/Program and its acronym FLVA/P, which the public virtual school said was too similar to its name and FLVS acronym.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The surge in fuel prices comes as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor that typically moves about 20 million barrels of oil per day, remains at a virtual standstill due to the ongoing conflict.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for virtual
Cite this Entry
“Virtual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtual. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
virtual
adjective
vir·tu·al
ˈvərch-(ə-)wəl
ˈvər-chəl
1
: being in effect but not in fact or name
a virtual dictator
2
: being on or simulated on a computer or computer network
a virtual classroom
virtually
adverb
-ē
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