virtually ideal

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "virtually ideal" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is nearly perfect or meets most criteria for being ideal, but may have minor imperfections. Example: "The design of the new smartphone is virtually ideal, combining functionality with aesthetic appeal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Books

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The conditions in the Middle East in November and December, on the other hand, are virtually ideal.

The New York Times - Sports

Gil Morgan started the day tied with Bob Murphy and Tom Jenkins, but he used his length from the tee in virtually ideal conditions today to pull away and capture the Instinet Classic by four shots.

The New York Times - Sports

"It's coming off one of the best seasons any series put forth last year, and that's a really tough act to follow," said John Landgraf, the president of FX. "But when you have a virtually ideal central character and central performance, audiences are going to find it".

The New York Times - Arts

The region not only possessed what seemed like an unlimited supply, it also offered virtually ideal conditions for exploitation and trade.

Plosone

Fig. 2B shows the Real Time PCR results using a dilution series of the cell lysate and of the standard as templates; all curves have virtually ideal slopes and offsets.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

He seriously questions the idea of romantic love, and concludes it is a virtually impossible ideal.

The New York Times - Books

For Chatsworth, which virtually defines the ideal of the English country house, has always been open to the public.

The New York Times - Magazine

Hubbard is presented as a virtually superhuman religious ideal just as Scientology itself is presented as the most important development in human history.

Wikipedia

Matthias reported that Hanford was "ideal in virtually all respects," except for the farming towns of White Bluffs and Hanford.

Wikipedia

As Nancy Armstrong writes in her seminal work on this genre, Desire and Domestic Fiction (1987): "so popular did these books become that by the second half of the eighteenth century virtually everyone knew the ideal of womanhood they proposed".

Wikipedia

The country has strong laws against espousing Nazi ideals and virtually no recent history of racist, anti-Semitic or neo-Nazi violence.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "virtually ideal" to describe situations or items that closely meet requirements but may not be absolutely perfect. This acknowledges a high degree of suitability without claiming unrealistic perfection.

Common error

Avoid using "virtually ideal" when describing something with significant flaws. It's best used when the deviations from the ideal are minor or negligible.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "virtually ideal" functions as a modifier, specifically an adverb ("virtually") modifying an adjective ("ideal"). Ludwig AI shows how it describes a state or condition that closely approximates a perfect or optimal scenario. It is used to qualify the adjective, indicating that something is almost ideal, though perhaps not entirely so.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Books

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "virtually ideal" is a grammatically sound and usable expression in English, as Ludwig AI confirms. It describes a situation or condition that is close to perfect but not quite. While its frequency is relatively low, it appears in diverse contexts, including News & Media and Science. When using this expression, ensure that the deviation from the ideal is minor. For similar meanings, consider alternatives such as "almost perfect" or "nearly optimal".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

almost perfect

Replaces "virtually" with "almost", focusing on nearness to perfection.

nearly optimal

Substitutes "ideal" with "optimal", emphasizing the best possible outcome.

practically flawless

Uses "flawless" instead of "ideal", highlighting the absence of defects.

essentially perfect

Emphasizes the core or fundamental perfection of something.

tantamount to perfection

Indicates a level of quality that is equivalent to being perfect.

next to perfect

A more colloquial way of saying almost perfect.

as good as perfect

Emphasizes the high quality, suggesting it's comparable to perfection.

approaching perfection

Focuses on the process of nearing a state of perfection.

in effect, ideal

Highlights that the outcome is similar to ideal even if it doesn't strictly meet the requirements for being called so.

for all intents and purposes, ideal

Highlights a practical equivalence to the ideal state, acknowledging potential technical differences.

FAQs

How can I use "virtually ideal" in a sentence?

You can use "virtually ideal" to describe something that almost perfectly meets the requirements or conditions. For instance, "The weather conditions were "virtually ideal" for the marathon."

What are some alternatives to "virtually ideal"?

Alternatives include "almost perfect", "nearly optimal", or "practically flawless", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "virtually ideal"?

While "ideal" already implies a high standard, using "virtually" adds emphasis to the nearness of that ideal, acknowledging that it might not be absolutely perfect. It's not strictly redundant but adds a subtle qualification.

What's the difference between "virtually ideal" and "theoretically ideal"?

"Virtually ideal" suggests a real-world situation that closely approximates an ideal one. "Theoretically ideal" refers to a scenario that might be perfect in theory but is unlikely to exist in practice.