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 plot, very loosely adapted from a book by Douglas Kennedy, concerns Tom (Ethan Hawke), an American novelist who gets stranded in Paris, broke, with a gluey case of writer’s block. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Then the duo begins, and everyone leans forward, rapt, hands clasped loosely in front of them, mouthing every word. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026

The show is grouped in six different sections, loosely (very loosely) based around the four seasons. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026

Jose Cardoso is slim enough that his Bremen soccer jersey hangs loosely off him. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 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