Virtual
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The virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also denotations. Colloquially, 'virtual' has a similar meaning to 'quasi-' or 'pseudo-' (prefixes which themselves have quite different meanings), meaning something that is almost something else, particularly when used in the adverbial form, e.g. "He's virtually [almost] my boyfriend."
Computing
In computing virtual is what does not physically exist, but is made to appear to by software: examples this usage can clearly be seen in virtual memory and, althout somewhat differently, in the popular sci-fi/IT concept of 'virtual reality'.
Philosophy
Numerous philosophers have advanced conceptions of the virtual. Most prominent of these in contemporary philosophy has been Gilles Deleuze, who uses the term virtual to refer to something that every object carries with it, which is neither its reality nor merely what it could have been, but rather what it is imagined to be.
Work Teams
Internet technology fostered the environment for virtual work in teams, with members who may never meet each other in person. Communicating by phone and email, with workproducts shared electronically, virtual teams produce results without being co-located.