virtually increases

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "virtually increases" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing something that increases in a way that is not entirely tangible or is perceived rather than actual. Example: "The new marketing strategy virtually increases our customer engagement, leading to higher sales."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This paper describes a local active noise control system that virtually increases the sound isolation of a dividing wall by means of a secondary source array.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

To rise to this challenge, the inertia constant of MGs would be virtually increased using energy storages.

Electric Power Systems Research

The virtually increased aperture empowers the STFD and allows for increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and cross-term suppression, leading to reliable signal identification and selection.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Next, all data points of a pattern were added by a numerical constant, and then the data points were virtually increased or decreased by a relatively small numeric value (e.g. 0.3 or 0.3).

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Besides, the compensatory mesiolabial inclination of lower anterior teeth before or after alignment would virtually increase the total mesiodistal tooth size of mandible in a majority of class II division 1 cases.

Progress in Orthodontics

The rationale of the skyhook inerter is to use a grounded inerter to virtually increase the sprung mass of a vehicle, as it is analytically demonstrated that increasing the sprung mass can always improve the ride comfort performance.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

It should be emphasized that, in the case of the lowest concentration (2.5 μg/mL) of PTX, the NP advantage played a rather important role in the cell penetration rate of drug; their particle size can easily and virtually increase the cellular uptake of drug and the accumulation in the cell through endocytosis mechanism.

Nanoscale Research Letters

As a remedy to this, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardized the concept of cell range expansion to virtually increase a small cell's coverage area by adding a bias value to its RSRP, which leads to traffic offloading from the macrocell.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The principal advantage of this model for REPs is reducing the risk of financial losses in DAMs, and the main benefit for the whole system is market power mitigation by virtually increasing the price elasticity of demand and reducing the peak demand.

Energy

The increase of nearly 1,000 in annual rollover deaths in sport utilities since 1993 has been mirrored by virtually identical increases in the annual number of people killed in rollovers over all, and the annual number of people killed by all types of crashes.

The New York Times

Studies by the rent board's staff showed that operating prices experienced virtually zero increases in 1997 and 1998, although the board raised rents anyway.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "virtually increases" to describe situations where the effect of increasing is achieved without a physical or directly measurable change. It often implies a functional or perceived improvement.

Common error

Avoid using "virtually increases" when you mean a real, measurable increase. 'Virtually' implies 'almost' or 'in effect', not 'actually'. Choose words like “significantly increases” or “substantially enhances” for measurable changes.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "virtually increases" functions as a modifier + verb combination. 'Virtually' modifies the verb 'increases', indicating that the increase is not a direct or measurable one, but rather an effective or practical one. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

56%

News & Media

31%

Encyclopedias

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "virtually increases" is grammatically correct and describes an indirect or perceived enhancement. Ludwig AI’s analysis confirms that it's used to suggest an improvement that is experienced rather than a concrete, quantifiable change. While not extremely common, its usage spans from neutral to formal contexts, particularly in science and news reporting. When using this phrase, ensure you're conveying an effect that functions as an increase, without necessarily being a direct or measurable one.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

effectively enhances

Replaces 'virtually' with 'effectively', suggesting a practical improvement.

practically boosts

Substitutes 'virtually' with 'practically' and 'increases' with 'boosts', indicating a tangible lift.

simulates an increase

Focuses on the perceived rather than actual increase.

essentially elevates

Uses 'essentially' instead of 'virtually' and 'elevates' for 'increases', conveying a fundamental rise.

functions as an increase

Highlights the functional aspect of the increase.

mimics an increment

Emphasizes the imitation of an increase.

nearly augments

Replaces 'virtually' with 'nearly' and 'increases' with 'augments', showing a close-to-real enhancement.

amounts to a rise

Indicates that the effect is equivalent to an increase.

appears to increase

Highlights the perception of an increase, which may not be entirely real.

approximates a growth

Suggests the effect is close to a real growth, but not exact.

FAQs

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

You can use "virtually increases" to describe an effect that is similar to an actual increase, but not directly measurable or physical. For example, "The software update "virtually increases" the system's memory capacity by optimizing resource allocation."

What's the difference between "virtually increases" and "actually increases"?

"Virtually increases" implies the effect is achieved in practice or effect, but not in a directly measurable way. "Actually increases" means there is a real, quantifiable increase. You can also consider using "effectively enhances" instead.

What can I say instead of "virtually increases"?

You can use alternatives like "effectively enhances", "practically boosts", or "simulates an increase" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is "virtually increases" the same as "almost increases"?

While similar, "virtually increases" implies the effect functions as an increase. "Almost increases" simply means it nears an increase but doesn't necessarily achieve the effect. For a closer meaning, consider "nearly augments".