loosely

adverb

loose·​ly ˈlüs-lē 

: in a loose manner

loosely attached

a collection of loosely connected stories

His shoes are set tidily together in a corner with his socks draped loosely across them.

—Felix Carroll

Texting freed a generation from the strictures and inconvenience (and awkwardness) of phone calls, while allowing people to be more loosely and constantly connected.

—Jenna Wortham

The novel is loosely based on the life of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Loosely translated from Japanese, umami means delicious or yummy.

—N. Seppa

Examples of loosely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The consonants and vowels rolling loosely on my tongue and then flattening into music. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Like Hard Choices, Communion is full of what might loosely be described as anecdotes. — Matthew Walther, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Let stand, loosely covered with foil, to allow spinach to wilt and sauce to thicken, 15 minutes. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026

The Odyssey was loosely adapted for the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing loosely

• broadly/loosely define
• loosely base on

Rhymes for loosely

• diffusely
• obtusely
• profusely