High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In mathematics, especially in the area of abstract algebra which studies infinite groups, the adverb virtually is used to modify a property so that it need only hold for a subgroup of finite index. Given a property P, the group G is said to be virtually P if there is a finite index subgroup H G such that H has property P. Common uses for this would be when P is abelian, nilpotent, or free. This terminology is also used when P is just another group. That is, if G and H are groups then G is virtually H if G has a subgroup K of finite index in G such that K is isomorphic to H.