Virtually means almost entirely or nearly completely. When something is virtually impossible, it's so difficult that it might as well be impossible, even if technically there's a tiny chance. When a classroom is virtually silent, you might hear the faintest whisper or pencil scratch, but it's as close to complete silence as you can get.

The word helps us describe situations that aren't quite 100% but are so close that the difference barely matters. If you've read virtually every book in the library, you've read almost all of them, maybe missing just a handful. When a teacher says the school year is virtually over, there might be a day or two left, but it's nearly finished.

You'll also hear virtually used with technology to mean “simulated by a computer” or “existing online rather than in person.” Virtual reality creates computer-generated worlds that feel real. A virtual meeting happens over a video call instead of face-to-face. During remote learning, students attended virtual classes from home.

The technology meaning connects to the original sense: something virtual creates nearly the same experience as the real thing, even though it's not physically happening in front of you. Whether you're describing something that's almost complete or something happening through a computer, virtually captures that sense of being extremely close to the real deal.