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virtual

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
vir·tu·al  (vûrch-l)
adj.
1. Existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or name: the virtual extinction of the buffalo.
2. Existing in the mind, especially as a product of the imagination. Used in literary criticism of a text.
3. Computer Science Created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer or computer network: virtual conversations in a chatroom.

[Middle English virtuall, effective, from Medieval Latin virtulis, from Latin virts, excellence; see virtue.]

virtu·ali·ty (-l-t) n.
Usage Note: When virtual was first introduced in the computational sense, it applied to things simulated by the computer, like virtual memorythat is, memory that is not actually built into the processor. Over time, though, the adjective has been applied to things that really exist and are created or carried on by means of computers. Virtual conversations are conversations that take place over computer networks, and virtual communities are genuine social groups that assemble around the use of e-mail, webpages, and other networked resources. · The adjectives virtual and digital and the prefixes e- and cyber- are all used in various ways to denote things, activities, and organizations that are realized or carried out chiefly in an electronic medium. There is considerable overlap in the use of these items: people may speak either of virtual communities or of cybercommunities and of e-cash or cybercash. To a certain extent the choice of one or another of these is a matter of use or convention (or in some cases, of finding an unregistered brand name). But there are certain tendencies. Digital is the most comprehensive of the words, and can be used for almost any device or activity that makes use of or is based on computer technology, such as a digital camera or a digital network. Virtual tends to be used in reference to things that mimic their "real" equivalents. Thus a digital library would be simply a library that involves information technology, whether a brick-and-mortar library equipped with networked computers or a library that exists exclusively in electronic form, whereas a virtual library could only be the latter of these. The prefix e- is generally preferred when speaking of the commercial applications of the Web, as in e-commerce, e-cash, and e-business, whereas cyber- tends to be used when speaking of the computer or of networks from a broader cultural point of view, as in cybersex, cyberchurch, and cyberspace. But like everything else in this field, such usages are evolving rapidly, and it would be rash to try to predict how these expressions will be used in the future.

virtual [ˈvɜːtʃʊəl]
adj
1. having the essence or effect but not the appearance or form of a virtual revolution
2. (Physics / General Physics) Physics being, relating to, or involving a virtual image a virtual focus
3. (Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science) Computing of or relating to virtual storage virtual memory
4. (Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science) of or relating to a computer technique by which a person, wearing a headset or mask, has the experience of being in an environment created by the computer, and of interacting with and causing changes in it
5. Rare capable of producing an effect through inherent power or virtue
6. (Physics / Atomic Physics) Physics designating or relating to a particle exchanged between other particles that are interacting by a field of force a virtual photon See also exchange force
[from Medieval Latin virtuālis effective, from Latin virtūs virtue]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.virtual - being actually such in almost every respect; "a practical failure"; "the once elegant temple lay in virtual ruin"
realistic - aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are; "a realistic description"; "a realistic view of the possibilities"; "a realistic appraisal of our chances"; "the actors tried to create a realistic portrayal of the Africans"
2.virtual - existing in essence or effect though not in actual fact; "a virtual dependence on charity"; "a virtual revolution"; "virtual reality"
essential - basic and fundamental; "the essential feature"

virtual
adjective practical, near, essential, implied, indirect, implicit, tacit, near enough, unacknowledged, in all but name He was a virtual prisoner in his own home.
Translations
virtual [ˈvɜːtjʊəl]
A. ADJreal, verdadero
he's the virtual star of the showen realidad or en la práctica, la estrella del espectáculo es él
it was a virtual defeat/failureen realidad fue una derrota/un fracaso
B. CPD virtual memory Nmemoria f virtual
virtual memory storage Nmemoria f virtual
virtual reality Nrealidad f virtual

virtual [ˈvɜːruəl] adj
(= almost complete) [recluse, prisoner, stranger, collapse, monopoly] → quasi- inv
a virtual prisoner → un quasi-prisonnier
a virtual stranger → un quasi-étranger
it's a virtual impossibility → c'est une quasi-impossibilité
to bring sth to a virtual standstill → presque paralyser qch
the virtual leader → le leader virtuel
(COMPUTING) [world, sex, environment, shopping, tourist] → virtuel(le)

virtual
adj attr
certainty, impossibilityfast völlig; it led to the virtual collapse of the economyes führte dazu, dass die Wirtschaft so gut wie zusammenbrach; they have a virtual monopolysie haben so gut wie das Monopol; to come to a virtual halt or standstillso gut wie zum Erliegen kommen; she was a virtual prisoner/recluse/strangersie war so gut wie eine Gefangene/Einsiedlerin/Fremde; he is the virtual leaderer ist quasi der Führer, praktisch ist er der Führer; it was a virtual admission of guiltes war praktisch ein Schuldgeständnis; it was a virtual disasteres war geradezu eine Katastrophe; it was a virtual failurees war praktisch ein Misserfolg m
(Phys) → virtuell
(Comput) → virtuell; virtual address (Comput) → virtuelle Adresse; virtual sexvirtueller Sex

virtual [ˈvɜːtjʊəl] adjeffettivo/a, vero/a (Comput, Phys) → virtuale
the virtual leader → il capo all'atto pratico
the strike led to the virtual closure of the dock → lo sciopero ha praticamente portato alla chiusura del porto
it was a virtual defeat → di fatto è stata una sconfitta
it's a virtual impossibility → è praticamente impossibile
virtual [ˈvɜːtjʊəl] adjeffettivo/a, vero/a (Comput, Phys) → virtuale
the virtual leader → il capo all'atto pratico
the strike led to the virtual closure of the dock → lo sciopero ha praticamente portato alla chiusura del porto
it was a virtual defeat → di fatto è stata una sconfitta
it's a virtual impossibility → è praticamente impossibile

virtual
adj virtual [ˈveː(r)tʃuəl]
almost (as described), though not exactly in every way a virtual collapse of the economy. feitlik, wesenlik عَمَلي، فِعْلي фактически praktický reel virtuell εικονικός virtual virtuaalne تقریبی tosiasiallinen quasi-total(e); virtuel/-elle בְּפוֹעַל, לְמַעֲשֶה लगभग वास्तव में नहीं praktički, zbiljski majdnem teljes hampir virtuale 事実上の (명목상으로는 그렇지 않으나) 실질상의 beveik visiškas virtuāls sebenarnya virtueel nesten, så å si pozorny virtual фактический skutočný; možný navidezen skori verklig, faktisk, egentlig โดยแท้จริง uygulamada, gerçekte, olası 幾乎(如所說的) фактичний; дійсний حقيقي جيسا، تقريباً thực sự
n virtual ˈreality
a computer system that creates an environment that looks real on the screen and in which the person operating the computer can take part. skynrealiteit واقِع فِعلي أو تَقْديري виртуална реалност virtuální realita virtual reality; VR die virtuelle Realität εικονική πραγματικότητα realidad virtual virtuaalreaalsus واقعیت مجازی virtuaalitodellisuus réalité virtuel מְצִיאוּת מְדוּמָה वास्तविकता virtualna realnost virtuális valóság penampilan mendekati kenyataan realtà virtuale 仮想現実 가상 현실 tariamoji/virtualioji tikrovė virtuālā realitāte realiti maya virtual reality virtuell virkelighet, nestenvirkelighet rzeczywistość wirtualna виртуальная реальность virtuálna realita navidezna resničnost virtuelna stvarnost virtuell (datorsimulerad) verklighet สภาวะเสมือนจริงที่จำลองโดยเทคนิคทางคอมพิวเตอร์ sanal gerçeklik 虛擬實境 віртуальна реальність ايک کمپيوٹر نظام جس سے اسکرين پر دکھايا جانے والا ماحول حقيقي نظر آئے thực tế ảo

virtual واقعي prakticky faktisk fast völlig εικονικός virtual tosiasiallinen virtuel virtualan virtuale 実質上の 가상의 virtueel virtuell wirtualny virtual фактический virtuell โดยแท้จริง sanal coi như 虚拟的


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The result, except in the case of insanity, must for the most part be arbitrary; and insanity, without any formal or express provision, may be safely pronounced to be a virtual disqualification.
He had undergone some strange experiences in his absence; he had seen the virtual Faustina in the literal Cornelia, a spiritual Lucretia in a corporeal Phryne; he had thought of the woman taken and set in the midst as one deserving to be stoned, and of the wife of Uriah being made a queen; and he had asked himself why he had not judged Tess constructively rather than biographically, by the will rather than by the deed?
With these formalities was born the Clan Torn, which grew in a few years to number a thousand men, and which defied a king's army and helped to make Simon de Montfort virtual ruler of England.
 
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