technically

/ˈtɛknək(ə)li/

/ˈtɛknɪkli/

Something technically true is actually, really true or correct but it may not be the way people think about it. For example, although people call a tomato a vegetable, technically it’s a fruit.

A birth father may technically be your father — according to a DNA test — but if you've lived with a stepfather your whole life, he’s your dad. Things that are technically true fulfill some exact requirement. Technically, a swing set might be in your neighbor’s yard, but since their kids are grown up, they consider it yours.

Definitions of technically

1. adverb

   with regard to technique
   “technically lagging behind the Japanese”

   “a technically brilliant boxer”
2. adverb

   with regard to technical skill and the technology available
   “a technically brilliant solution”
3. adverb

   according to the exact meaning; according to the facts
   “technically, a bank's reserves belong to the stockholders”

   “technically, the term is no longer used by experts”