virtually

virtually, practically, morally can all mean not absolutely or actually, yet so nearly so that the difference is negligible. So close are these words in meaning that they (especially the first two) are often interchanged although each can carry specific implications that make discriminative use possible. Virtually may imply that the difference is merely that between what a thing is in name or outward seeming and what it is in fact, in essence, in effect, or, sometimes, in potentiality

{

the prime minister is virtually the ruler of his country

}

{

their father's request is virtually a command

}

{

the British contended that the American colonies were virtually represented

}

Practically implies a difference between what is enough for practical purposes or from the point of view of use, value, or effectiveness and what satisfies the requirements formally or absolutely

{

badly spotted fruit is practically worthless

}

{

a road is practically finished when traffic can pass over it freely and without interruptions

}

Morally implies a difference between what satisfies one's judgment and what is required for proof by law or by logic

{

the jurors were morally certain of the defendant's guilt, but owing to a lack of evidence, they were compelled to render a verdict of "not guilty"

}

When morally qualifies words such as "impossible," it occurs in a statement of a conviction and is slightly less positive than "absolutely"

{

it is morally impossible to accomplish more under the circumstances

}