loophole

American  

[loop-hohl] / ˈlupˌhoʊl /

noun

loopholes plural

1. a means of escape or evasion; a means or opportunity of evading a rule, law, etc..

   There are a number of loopholes in the tax laws whereby corporations can save money.

2. a small or narrow opening, as in a wall, for looking through, for admitting light and air, or, particularly in a fortification, for the discharge of missiles against an enemy outside.

3. an opening or aperture.

---

verb (used with object)

loopholes, present (3rd person singular) loopholed, past participle, past loopholing present participle

1. to furnish with loopholes.

loophole British  

/ ˈluːpˌhəʊl /

noun

1. an ambiguity, omission, etc, as in a law, by which one can avoid a penalty or responsibility

2. a small gap or hole in a wall, esp one in a fortified wall

---

verb

1. (tr) to provide with loopholes

Usage

What is a loophole? A loophole is an absence or something vague in a rule or law that allows a person to avoid punishment, as in I was able to keep an alligator in my apartment thanks to a loophole in the housing rules that said only “no dogs allowed.” Loopholes often result from poor wording or vague language in a rule or law. Generally, we can expect that anything that is not specifically forbidden or illegal must be allowed. However, this expectation sometimes allows people to get around the law by not violating the exact wording of that law. For example, a law may say that no one is allowed to walk on the sidewalk after dark. People take advantage of the loophole in this law by skipping, running, or jogging on the sidewalk when it is dark. Technically, they haven’t done anything forbidden by the law so they could not be punished for it. People who write laws and contracts try to avoid potential loopholes by using very specific language. Parents often have to do the same thing to avoid their children getting around their rules. Example: The companies used a loophole in the tax code to avoid paying taxes by registering themselves as charities.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• loopholes
  plural

Participles

• loopholing
  present
• loopholed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• loophole
  simple
• loopholes
  simple
• have loopholed
  perfect
• has loopholed
  perfect
• am loopholing
  progressive
• are loopholing
  progressive
• is loopholing
  progressive
• have been loopholing
  perfect progressive
• has been loopholing
  perfect progressive

Past

• loopholed
  simple
• had loopholed
  perfect
• was loopholing
  progressive
• were loopholing
  progressive
• had been loopholing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will loophole
  simple
• will have loopholed
  perfect
• will be loopholing
  progressive
• will have been loopholing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of loophole

First recorded in 1585–95; loop ² + hole

Explanation

A loophole is an accidental technicality or unclear section of a written document that allows someone to avoid following a rule or fulfilling an obligation. If you've discovered a way to get out of paying taxes on money you made last year, you've found a loophole. There can also be loopholes in politics, where politicians get away with something through a technicality. And if a criminal goes free despite being found guilty of a crime, it might be because of some unforeseen loophole in the law. The original loopholes were narrow slits in a fortress or wall through which defenders could safely shoot arrows — it was seen as an unfair advantage by some, which resulted in the modern meaning of loophole.

Example Sentences

For activists, the change in law will not only end the consumption of dogs, but also a "long-standing loophole" around their treatment, said Park Joo-yeon, a lawyer and head of animal rights group PNR.

From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026

Two decades ago, his use of the pet food loophole to ship across state lines attracted scrutiny almost immediately.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

Continue the premiums by direct debit and make sure that the insurance company has no reason or loophole to cancel it for lack of payment.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Chairwoman of the LGA's health and wellbeing committee, councillor Dr Wendy Taylor, said year two of the ban must focus on enforcement and closing the "loophole" of these vapes.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Admittedly he had not, as he had with Sirius, looked desperately for some kind of loophole, some way that Dumbledore would come back....

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling