Etymology Map
Back to all words

Virtual

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means almost or nearly; existing in computer simulation

Where does the word "virtual" come from? It comes from Latin virtus, passing through Medieval Latin before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
virtus
Latin · classical
"excellence, power"
'manliness, courage, power', from vir 'man'; also the root of 'virtue'
2
Stage 2 of 3
virtualis
Medieval Latin · 1200s
"potential, effective"
scholastic philosophers used it for something present in power or effect though not in actual form
3
Stage 3 of 3
virtual
English · 1400s
"almost; computer-simulated"
computing gave it new life: 'virtual memory' in 1959, and Jaron Lanier popularised 'virtual reality' in the 1980s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Virtual’s story begins in Latin: virtus meant “excellence, power.” 'manliness, courage, power', from vir 'man'; also the root of 'virtue'. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as virtualis. Scholastic philosophers used it for something present in power or effect though not in actual form. It reached English by 1400s as virtual. Computing gave it new life: 'virtual memory' in 1959, and Jaron Lanier popularised 'virtual reality' in the 1980s. Today, virtual means almost or nearly; existing in computer simulation.