virtuale

Virtuale is an Italian adjective meaning virtual. It is used to describe something that exists in effect or in a simulated form rather than in physical reality. In Italian usage, it often appears in compound expressions to indicate digital, simulated, or potential qualities, and in technical writing it is commonly translated into English as virtual.

The word derives from the Latin virtualis, from virtus meaning virtue, strength, or power, and came to signify potential or operative capacity as opposed to the actual state.

In technology and computing, virtuale appears in terms such as memoria virtuale (virtual memory), macchina virtuale (virtual machine), and realtà virtuale (virtual reality). These phrases denote non-physical representations or environments produced by software and hardware. In philosophy and linguistics, virtuale can refer to the potential or hypothetical counterpart of an actual phenomenon, a meaning closely aligned with the English sense of virtual.

In economics, law, and media, the adjective is used in phrases like beni virtuali (virtual goods) and valuta virtuale (virtual currency) to describe digital or non-tangible assets.

Related terms include virtual, virtualization, virtual memory, and virtual reality.