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

But in the uncapped and loosely controlled world of college football, veteran starters are reportedly earning much more. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 26 Apr. 2025

The authors see an increasingly sophisticated and loosely coordinated campaign by illiberal states, including President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and far-right movements to undermine liberalism. —Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

Read a book that challenges you to hold your opinions loosely while not letting go of core beliefs, Costas urged. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025

Clueless hit theaters in 1995 and was loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Emma. —Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025

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