virtually

Etymology

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

adv

1. Almost but not quite.
   With our Medicare supplemental insurance plan, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. (Advertisement)
   By surviving the first six minutes Hargreaves matched the total amount of playing time he had managed previously in virtually three years - and by scoring his first goal since April 2008 he set the hosts on their way to a fifth win of the season in all competitions. September 21, 2011, Sam Lyon, “Man City 2-0 Birmingham”, in BBC Sport
   Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return. 2013-07-06, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68
2. Without exaggeration.
3. In essence or functionally, but not in fact, formally, or technically.
   virtually a member of the family
4. (algebra) Of a substructure of finite index.
   virtually indicable
5. (topology) Of a covering space of finite index.
   virtually Haken
6. By computer or in cyberspace.