Author’s note: Thank you to my reader, good friend, and former teacher Dr. LRW for this idea based on misuse and shifting meanings of the word “virtual” in these days.

I have written elsewhere of the differences between virtual and verbal, but I am more troubled now by growing misuse of the word virtual. We’re having conference calls and meetings by computer — so they are being known as  “virtual meetings.” As Dr. LRW pointed out to me, “virtual” Advanced Placement (AP) exams will be given this spring now that Illinois schools are closed.

But they are really tests — so they should not be called “virtual.” Yes, they seem to be by computer — but see what my dictionary, Webster’s New 20th Century, has as a definition for virtual: “Being in essence or effect, not in fact; not actual, but equivalent, so far as effect is concerned.” Even in Google’s dictionary, sorting the definitions by “computing” or searching for “all” definitions yields this as the first definition: “almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition.”

The AP tests coming up are going to be real tests. They will be just as valid as the one I took in high school — at the high school.  They won’t be “almost” AP tests. They will be the actual tests. So let’s save that beautiful “not actual, but equivalent” distinction by avoiding the word “virtual” to describe them.

The accompanying photo is a photo of real teddy bears — but virtual bears.

If you want to describe something you’re doing by computer, say or write “I did it on my computer” or “I did it by computer.” You can also say it was “online” if you were actually connected to the Internet at the time.  If you felt like you were visiting somewhere because you saw it on a computer, saying you “paid a virtual visit” would be fine. But filling out applications or taking tests are real events. They shouldn’t be called “virtual” because they are, actually and in fact, the tests and applications that would happen “in person” if the stay-at-home order were not in effect.

English has so many words with precise distinctions. Let’s keep them alive and use them well.

Margaret Serious has a page on Facebook.

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