vaguely

adverb

vague·​ly ˈvāg-lē 

: in a vague way: such as

a

: somewhat or slightly

He's vaguely familiar with the area.

… men on foot, dressed vaguely like janitors …

—A. L. Kennedy

b

: not clearly

There were grants, he explained vaguely, that had to be spent before the money went back to the federal government, so my main job was to buy lavish art books, as quickly as possible.

—Michael Blaine

Where once the city was a battleground for two main militias … now at least five militias claim vaguely defined pockets as their own.

—Jeffrey Bartholet

I've always believed closers are like girlfriends: You remember the great ones, you remember the awful ones and you vaguely remember everyone in between. (You could say the same about hockey goalies and field goal kickers.)

—Bill Simmons

Examples of vaguely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Behind him, against the restaurant’s white fence, is a vaguely biblical lime tree. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

That sharp, collared neckline, vaguely reminiscent of menswear or suiting, was fastened with a small bow that added a feminine touch. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026

The images are vaguely Wim Wenders-esque, and although several of the scenes feature more than one person, the characters rarely interact. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

Some of his fellow Republicans objected to the viral post, while UT officials vaguely praised their student body in general. — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above