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.
Front-line fighting and shelling grinds on Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other’s territory with deep strikes. Mehmet Guzel, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025 Still, even the teams near the bottom of the financial standings are on the upswing, and league-wide, the NWSL posted a regular-season attendance record with more than 2 million fans in 2024, or an average of roughly 11,250 per game, up 6% from 2023. Brett Knight, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 Federal Pell Grants go to low-income students and do not need to be paid back; the administration wants to cut the maximum amount of the annual grant from roughly $7,400 to $5,700. Cory Turner, NPR, 2 June 2025 Reports included complaints of dire conditions for the roughly 80 men being held in ICE custody at Leavenworth. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 2 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Roughly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughly. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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