virtual

virtual — adjective

1. almost but not completely what is described, so that you can treat it as if it a

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

almost but not completely what is described, so that you can treat it as if it already were that thing.

Example

Constanza's coffee shop held a virtual monopoly on local trade after three years.

collocation: virtual monopoly

Passing the final exam became a virtual impossibility for Minho after his long illness.

collocation: virtual impossibility

Common collocations
  • virtual monopoly
  • virtual certainty
  • virtual impossibility
  • virtual guarantee
  • virtual silence
Synonyms
  • near

    less emphatic; 'a near monopoly' suggests closeness but may not be as dominant as 'a virtual monopoly'

  • effective

    more formal; used in legal, financial, or official contexts ('effective control')

Antonyms
  • actual

    refers to what truly exists or is fully true, not merely almost true

  • complete

    fully and entirely what is described, with no gap

Grammar Patterns

virtual + noun

Usage Note

Predominantly used before the noun it modifies (attributive position). Common in fixed noun phrases such as 'virtual monopoly', 'virtual certainty', and 'virtual impossibility'. Do not use this sense to refer to computer technology — that meaning belongs to senses 2 and 3.

Common Mistakes

I am virtual sure that she is right.
I am virtually sure that she is right.
'Virtual' is an adjective (modifies nouns), not an adverb. Use 'virtually' to modify verbs or adjectives.
We held a virtual meeting at the park.' (when meaning an informal, nearly-meeting)
We held a quick informal meeting at the park.
In modern English, 'virtual meeting' almost always refers to an online meeting (sense 3), not an 'almost-meeting.'

2. created by computer software so that it looks and feels like a real 3D place or

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

created by computer software so that it looks and feels like a real 3D place or object, even though it is not physically there.

Example

Zola explored a virtual forest where the trees moved gently in the wind.

collocation: virtual forest / virtual world

The students put on headsets to walk through a virtual model of ancient Rome.

collocation: virtual model of [place]

Common collocations
  • virtual reality
  • virtual world
  • virtual environment
  • virtual character
  • virtual tour
  • virtual model
  • virtual space
Synonyms
  • simulated

    emphasises the process of artificial imitation rather than the user's sense of being present

  • digital

    broader term; refers to any electronic format (photos, music, text), not specifically immersive spaces

Antonyms
  • physical

    existing in the real, material world with actual mass and location

  • real

    not simulated or computer-made; genuinely existing

Grammar Patterns

virtual + noun

be + virtual

Usage Note

Often used in compound nouns such as 'virtual reality' and 'virtual world'. Can be used both directly before a noun ('a virtual environment') and after a linking verb ('the experience was virtual'). This sense focuses on the immersive, simulated quality of the experience, not on whether it happens over a network — for internet-based activities, see sense 3.

Common Mistakes

I bought a virtual house on the real estate website.
I viewed a virtual tour of the house on the real estate website.
'Virtual house' suggests a simulated, computer-made house, not a real house shown with technology. Use 'virtual tour' for digital previews of real places.

3. happening or done through the internet rather than in a physical place where peo

3.adjectiveA2
Definition

happening or done through the internet rather than in a physical place where people meet; used for activities, events, and services that take place over computer networks instead of face-to-face.

Example

Sahil attended a virtual conference from his home office in Taipei.

collocation: virtual conference

The yoga class went virtual during the rainy season, with students joining from home.

phrasal pattern: go + virtual

Common collocations
  • virtual meeting
  • virtual classroom
  • virtual event
  • virtual assistant
  • virtual conference
  • virtual consultation
Synonyms
  • online

    everyday term; more widely used and simpler; 'online meeting' is more common than 'virtual meeting'

  • remote

    emphasises participants being in different locations rather than the technology used

Antonyms
  • in-person

    involving people physically present at the same location

  • face-to-face

    people interacting directly in the same physical space

Grammar Patterns

virtual + noun

go + virtual

be + virtual

Usage Note

Very common in compound nouns for activities that traditionally took place in person: 'virtual meeting', 'virtual classroom', 'virtual event'. Can be used predictively ('the conference was virtual') and is often paired with 'go' to describe a switch from in-person to online format ('the school went virtual'). This is the most accessible sense of 'virtual' for lower-level learners.

Common Mistakes

We had a virtual party where everyone brought food to the park.
We had an online party where everyone joined a video call from home.
'Virtual' (sense 3) always involves internet-based technology, not just an informal arrangement.

Word family

  • virtually
    adverbB1
  • virtualize
    verbC1
  • virtualization
    nounC1
  • virtual reality
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

These four terms all relate to computer technology but differ in emphasis. Virtual suggests an environment that mimics real-world experience — a space you feel you are inside. Simulated focuses on the process of imitation: a simulated flight trains pilots by recreating conditions artificially, but the pilot knows it is a copy. Digital is the broadest term, covering anything stored or processed as electronic data — from photos and music to text. Online specifically refers to internet-connected activities: an online course requires a network connection, whereas a virtual course might use a simulated 3D classroom. When choosing: use virtual for immersive experiences (virtual reality), simulated for artificial recreations (simulated earthquake), digital for any electronic format (digital wallet), and online for anything happening over the internet (online banking).

simulateddigital ↗online ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'virtus', meaning 'excellence, strength, moral worth'. In Late Latin, 'virtualis' meant 'effective, powerful'. Medieval scholars used 'virtual' to describe something that was effective in essence though not in physical form — for example, a king's 'virtual presence' through his representatives. The computer-age meaning first appeared in the 1950s with 'virtual memory' (simulated extra memory) and expanded to immersive simulated environments in the 1980s and 1990s.