loosely

[loos-lee]

adverb

1. in a way that is not secure, tight, or restrained.

   Cover the chicken loosely with foil so the spices don't burn.

   After filling up, the driver loosely closed the gas cap, which subsequently fell off as they headed down the highway.

2. in a way that is not firm, rigid, or taut.

   Roll the cut strip of fabric loosely, with the pattern side in.

   A chain, secured at the top and bottom but hanging loosely against the rock, assists with the final steep ascent.

3. in a way that is relaxed or limber.

   Bend forward with your head and arms hanging down loosely.

4. (of a structure or arrangement) in a way that is not compact and allows space between parts or components.

   The flour should be loosely packed and fluffy, rather than tamped into a solid block.

   The superficial fat layer is made up of tightly packed fat cells, whereas in the deeper layers the cells are more loosely arranged.

5. in a way that is not strict or precise.

   Romania was made famous in the West by the legend of Dracula, based loosely on Vlad the Impaler.

   The term is often used rather loosely to refer to any group with identifiable shared characteristics.

6. in a way that has few restraints and allows for freedom of independent action.

   The cooperative buys organic soybeans from a loosely organized group of independent Michigan growers, and resells the beans to customers in Japan and elsewhere.

Other Word Forms

• overloosely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of loosely¹

loose ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

This does not, of course, foreclose another question: Does the book add anything of additional value—defining the term, loosely, to include perspective and narrative fluency?

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Local residents dubbed it Boko Haram - a name which in the Hausa language loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden" because of their opposition to Western-style schools.

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Like the climate crisis or the crisis of democratic legitimacy, the affordability crisis has become an umbrella term for countless loosely connected phenomena.

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Like comic strips, the predellas contain a series of interlocking, loosely sequential stories, typically the lives of saints.

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Even so, the researchers cannot completely rule out that it might instead be a cluster of loosely bound debris.

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Related Words

• almost 
• generally 
• relatively 
• roughly