virtual

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Latin virtuālis, from virtus (“virtue”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜːtʃuəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɝtʃuəl/
• Hyphenation: vir‧tu‧al

Adjective

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.

   • Fleming

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

   • De Quincey

     to mask by slight differences in the manners a virtual identity in the substance

2. Nearly, almost. (A relatively recent corruption of meaning, attributed to misuse in advertising and media.)

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

   • 2012, Chelsea 6-0 Wolves [1]

     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.

3. Simulated in a computer or online.

   The virtual world of his computer game allowed character interaction.

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

Synonyms

• de facto

Antonyms

• de jure
• legal
• real

Derived terms

• virtual reality
• virtually

Translations

in effect; not fact

• Bulgarian: виртуален (bg) (virtuálen)
• Catalan: virtual (ca)
• Danish: virtuel
• Dutch: virtueel (nl)
• Finnish: näennäinen, virtuaalinen
• French: virtuel (fr)
• Georgian: ფაქტიური (p’ak’tiuri)
• German: eigentlich (de), virtuell (de)
• Greek: εικονικός (el) m (eikonikós)
• Hebrew: מציאות
• Italian: virtuale (it)

• Japanese: 事実上の (じじつじょうの, jijitsujō no)
• Latin: virtualis
• Maori: mariko
• Persian: مجازی (fa) (majāzī)
• Polish: wirtualny (pl), dosłowny (pl), rzeczywisty (pl)
• Portuguese: virtual (pt)
• Russian: виртуальный (ru) (virtuál’nyj)
• Spanish: virtual (es)
• Turkish: sanal (tr)
• Ukrainian: віртуальный (virtuál’nyj)

simulated in a computer

• Bengali: ভার্চুয়াল (varcuẇal)
• Catalan: virtual (ca)
• French: virtuel (fr)
• Greek: εικονικός (el) m (eikonikós)

• Irish: fíorúil
• Italian: virtuale (it)
• Japanese: 仮想の (かそうの, kasō no)

nearly, almost

• Catalan: virtual (ca)
• German: fast (de)

• Japanese: ほとんど (ja) (hotondo)

in object-oriented programming

• Catalan: virtual (ca)
• Finnish: näennäis-

• Irish: fíorúil

Noun

virtual (plural virtuals)

1. (computing) In C++, a virtual member function of a class.

---

Catalan

Adjective

virtual m, f (masculine and feminine plural virtuals)

1. virtual

---

Spanish

Adjective

virtual m, f (plural virtuales)

1. virtual