virtually an hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "virtually an hour" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that the time being referred to is almost or approximately an hour, but not exactly. Example: "The meeting lasted virtually an hour, so we were able to cover most of the agenda."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"My players, they've had a tough game on Thursday [losing 1-0 to Valencia], playing virtually an hour with 10 men, coming into a tough game today, against a team that's doing very well, go 2-0 up, good goals, good quality, so to have that control in the game, then to have that goal against you.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

And on the ban on claims for getting a TV installed, it says: "Since MPs' work involves being informed and available at virtually any hour, we consider access to media and the internet when residing away from home is a legitimate business expense".

BBC

Adjusted for inflation, wages for middle-income men -- those in the 50th percentile of earnings -- were virtually flat at about $15 an hour between 1980 and 2003, according to a paper that will be published in September by the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal research group in Washington.

The New York Times

"We're getting about 2,000 calls an hour - that's virtually unheard of for a Sunday," spokesman Gavin Hill-Smith said.

BBC

And with broadband fiber-optic cable being laid around the world at the rate of hundreds of miles an hour (virtually the speed of sound), the speed for moving digital data down these slender pipes more than doubles annually--faster even than computing power, which doubles every year and a half.

Yale University

With its multitude of trucks and dangerous on-ramps, the B.Q.E. is a den of congestion at virtually all hours of the day.

The New York Times

The home side had spent virtually the entire first quarter of an hour on the backfoot, but Aaron Doran served notice of their ability on the offensive, bringing out a decent save from Fraser Forster with a long-range drive.

BBC

The drones, operated by the C.I.A., fly overhead sometimes four at a time, emitting a beelike hum virtually 24 hours a day, observing and tracking targets, then unleashing missiles on their quarry, they said.

The New York Times

It takes an hour to get virtually anywhere in the traffic-choked capital, a skein of alleyways and dead ends.

The New Yorker

During a recent world-class tennis tournament, fans had to wait for more than an hour for taxis, virtually the only way of getting around.

The Economist

The singer comforts her for an age until the ambulance arrives, and for an hour afterwards is virtually inconsolable, blaming himself.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "virtually an hour" when you want to convey that a duration is close to, but not exactly, one hour. This adds a nuance of approximation.

Common error

Avoid using "virtually an hour" when you have precise timing information. If you know the exact duration, state it directly for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "virtually an hour" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a noun. It describes the duration of time, indicating an approximate length of one hour. This is supported by Ludwig, which confirms its usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

15%

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "virtually an hour" is a grammatically sound and acceptably common way to describe a duration close to one hour. As confirmed by Ludwig, it functions as an adverbial phrase, providing an approximation rather than a precise measurement of time. Its usage is most frequent in news and media contexts but also appears in academic and scientific writing. When aiming for precision, consider alternatives like "almost an hour" or "approximately an hour". While generally safe to use, be mindful of the context and desired level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost an hour

Replaces "virtually" with "almost", indicating near approximation.

nearly an hour

Uses "nearly" instead of "virtually" for a similar meaning of approaching one hour.

approximately an hour

Substitutes "virtually" with "approximately" for a more formal tone.

about an hour

Replaces "virtually" with "about", a more casual approximation.

around an hour

Similar to "about an hour" but slightly less precise.

close to an hour

Emphasizes proximity to the one-hour mark.

roughly an hour

Implies an estimate with some degree of inaccuracy.

just under an hour

Indicates the time is slightly less than one hour.

more or less an hour

Indicates a flexible, inexact estimation.

in the vicinity of an hour

A more verbose way of saying "about an hour".

FAQs

What does "virtually an hour" mean?

The phrase "virtually an hour" means almost or approximately one hour, but not precisely 60 minutes. It suggests a duration close to an hour.

What can I say instead of "virtually an hour"?

You can use alternatives like "almost an hour", "nearly an hour", or "approximately an hour" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "virtually an hour" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "virtually an hour" might be considered less precise than alternatives like "approximately an hour" or "almost an hour" in formal contexts. Choose the phrase that best fits the tone and required level of accuracy.

How accurate is "virtually an hour"?

The accuracy of "virtually an hour" is subjective and depends on the context. It implies a time close to 60 minutes, but it does not specify a precise range.