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

Due to his past ties with Minnesota and expiring deal, Paton was vaguely connected to the Vikings’ open general manager job since the organization fired previous GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

Moss-Bachrach answers vaguely when asked about when Richie’s accident takes place, clearly to preserve every detail of the show’s fifth and final season. —Erin Jensen, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Today, some of the most beloved musicals of the American theater can sometimes seem outmoded and vaguely inappropriate, since society’s standards have changed radically in the last 60 years. —Marla Jo Fisher, Daily News, 4 May 2026

In three games for Connor Ingram and one for Tristan Jarry, the goaltenders have oscillated between vaguely competent and actively bad. —Sean Gentille, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above