Standard Lemma guide

technically

adv · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/
  • /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkli/
  • /ˈtɛk.nəˌkli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 K N IH0 K AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: T EH1 K N IH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Based on precise facts, which, however, may be contrary to common belief or casual terminology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: stricto sensu
  • Technically, he was Canadian, but everyone assumed he was American.
  • Technically, a guinea pig is not a pig, nor is it from Guinea.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stricto sensu

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Based on formal (de jure) arguments, which, however, may be misleading.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • technically correct
  • Due to an omission in the peace treaty of the Russo-Japanese War, Montenegro was technically at war with Japan for 102 years.
  • Stalin was not technically the Head of State.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In terms of technique.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Although she is technically gifted, her piano playing lacks passion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: techniquewise

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

In a technical (involving specialized knowledge) way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

According to the current state of technology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • For now, it is technically impossible to have a manned flight to Mercury.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: technologically

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

with regard to technical skill and the technology available

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a technically brilliant solution

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adverb

Meaning 7

with regard to technique

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • technically lagging behind the Japanese
  • a technically brilliant boxer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adverb

Meaning 8

according to the exact meaning; according to the facts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • technically, a bank's reserves belong to the stockholders
  • technically, the term is no longer used by experts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English technical Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English technically From technical + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

104 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: tegnies — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Arabic: أَصْلًا (ʔaṣlan) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Catalan: tècnicament — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Chinese Mandarin: 嚴格來說 /严格来说 (yángé láishuō) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Dutch: technisch gesproken — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Dutch: strikt genomen — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Esperanto: vere — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Finnish: oikeasti — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Finnish: tosiasiallisesti — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • French: techniquement — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • German: eigentlich — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • German: genau genommen — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Hebrew: טכנית (tékhnit) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Hungarian: szigorúan véve — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Italian: veramente — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Italian: tecnicamente — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Japanese: 厳密に (genmitsu ni) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Malay: sebenarnya — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Norwegian: teknisk sett — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Polish: właściwie — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Portuguese: na realidade — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Portuguese: tecnicamente — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Russian: что́бы быть то́чным (štóby bytʹ tóčnym) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Russian: со́бственно (sóbstvenno) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Russian: стро́го говоря́ (strógo govorjá) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Spanish: en realidad — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Spanish: de hecho — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Spanish: técnicamente — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Swedish: egentligen — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Thai: วิชาการ (wíchaa gaan) — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Turkish: teknik yönden — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Welsh: yn dechnegol — based on precise facts, which however may be contrary to common misbelief or to a traditional name
  • Armenian: դե յուրե (de yure) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Catalan: de iure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Chinese Mandarin: 法律意义上的 — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Finnish: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Finnish: lain mukaan — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Finnish: laillisesti — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • French: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • French: de droit — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Galician: de dereito — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Galician: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • German: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Greek: εκ του νόμου (ek tou nómou) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Greek: ντε γιούρε (nte gioúre) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Greek: αυτοδικαίως (aftodikaíos) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: elvileg — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: elvben — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: névleg — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: névlegesen — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: formailag — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: hivatalosan — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: elméletileg — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Hungarian: jogilag — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Japanese: デ・ジュリ (de-juri) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Japanese: 法律上の (hōritsujō no) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Korean: 이론상 (ironsang) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Korean: 이론적(理論的)으로 (ironjeog-euro) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Polish: wedle prawa — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Polish: de iure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Portuguese: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Russian: Russian: формально (formalʹno) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Russian: номинально (nominalʹno) — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Swedish: de jure — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Welsh: yn ffurfiol — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Welsh: yn benodol — based on formal (de jure) arguments, which however may be misleading
  • Bulgarian: техни́чески (tehníčeski) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Catalan: tècnicament — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 在專業上 /在专业上 (zài zhuànyè shàng) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 在技術上 /在技术上 (zài jìshù shàng) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Dutch: technisch — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Esperanto: teĥnike — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Esperanto: teknike — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Finnish: teknisesti — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • French: techniquement — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • German: technisch — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • German: fachlich — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Hebrew: טכנית (tékhnit) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Hungarian: szakmailag — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Italian: tecnicamente — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Norwegian: teknisk — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Polish: technicznie — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Portuguese: tecnicamente — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Russian: техни́чески (texníčeski) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Spanish: técnicamente — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Swedish: tekniskt — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Thai: ทั้ง (táng) — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Welsh: yn dechnegol — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Welsh: yn ffurfiol — having or using the skills or talent required for a certain job or profession
  • Bulgarian: техни́чески (tehníčeski) — according to the current state of technology
  • Catalan: tècnicament — according to the current state of technology
  • Dutch: technisch — according to the current state of technology
  • Finnish: teknisesti — according to the current state of technology
  • French: techniquement — according to the current state of technology
  • German: technisch — according to the current state of technology
  • German: nach dem Stand der Technik — according to the current state of technology
  • Hungarian: technikailag — according to the current state of technology
  • Hungarian: műszakilag — according to the current state of technology
  • Hungarian: műszaki/technikai szempontból — according to the current state of technology
  • Italian: tecnicamente — according to the current state of technology
  • Norwegian: teknisk — according to the current state of technology
  • Russian: техни́чески (texníčeski) — according to the current state of technology
  • Swedish: tekniskt — according to the current state of technology
  • Welsh: yn dechnolegol — according to the current state of technology
Real reading context

technically in complete knowledge articles