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

Her long, dark hair was gathered in a loose bun; her filigreed, vaguely Indian earrings dangled. —Leslie Camhi, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024

Even so, informal polls are lighthearted opportunities for people to participate in something vaguely akin to an election survey, and doing so may promote popular interest in elections. —W. Joseph Campbell, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024

On a vaguely lighter note, what’s a recent moment that gave you catharsis? —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

Here's a look at some of Parton's vaguely political statements over the years. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined above