loosely
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
in a way that is not firm or tight.
in a manner that lacks physical tension or firm attachment.
Simple“She tied the scarf loosely around her neck so it wouldn't feel too hot.”
In context“The cables were hung loosely between the two towers to allow for thermal expansion during the peak of summer.”
UsageUsually modifies a verb describing how something is attached or held.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
in a way that is not exact or strictly accurate.
indicating a lack of strict precision or a general approximation in description or classification.
Simple“The film is loosely based on a true story from the 1920s.”
In context“The term is used loosely by the general public to describe any flying insect, though biologists apply it to a specific family.”
UsageCommonly used with the past participle 'based' or to modify verbs of speaking and defining.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
you use this when you are giving a general idea but your words are not perfectly correct.
used as a sentence adverbial to indicate that the following statement is an approximation or uses non-technical language.
Simple“Loosely speaking, a tomato is a vegetable in the kitchen, even if it is a fruit to a scientist.”
In context“Loosely, the project can be categorised as a success, though several key performance indicators were not fully met.”
UsageOften appears at the beginning of a sentence followed by 'speaking'.
“The 2015 film Being Charlie, which Nick wrote and Rob directed, was loosely based on Nick’s life.”
“First, I steep about a quart of terrifically strong hot tea and pour it into a pitcher loosely filled with ice cubes straight from the freezer.”
From Middle English lously; equivalent to loose + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.