roughly

adverb

rough·​ly ˈrə-flē How to pronounce roughly (audio)
1
: in a rough manner: such as
a
: with harshness or violence
treated the prisoner roughly
b
: in crude fashion : imperfectly
roughly dressed lumber
2
: without completeness or exactness : approximately
roughly 20 percent

Examples of roughly in a Sentence

Roughly translated, it means “hurry up!”. The new product is modeled roughly on an earlier design. He threw the package roughly in the truck. The guard told us roughly that we had to stand back.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Trump also ordered his Justice Department to take steps to throw out all pending indictments against Jan. 6 defendants whose cases have not yet been fully adjudicated — a decision that would shut down roughly 470 ongoing cases. Ella Lee, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025 Their total yield should roughly match that of comparable maturity Treasurys over time if inflation unfolds as expected. Alex Shahidi, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 The layoffs at roughly two dozen local television stations stretching from Massachusetts to Hawaii will impact at least 50 meteorologists, according to a person familiar with the matter. Liam Reilly, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025 Between 2010 and 2014, roughly 7 percent of children in the state — or about 280,000 kids — were U.S. citizens living with at least one undocumented family member, according to a study from the American Immigration Council, a Washington think tank and immigration advocacy group. Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for roughly 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roughly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near roughly

Cite this Entry

“Roughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughly. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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