Roughly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Roughly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to indicate an approximation or an estimate rather than an exact figure or detail. Example: "Roughly speaking, the project will take about three months to complete."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Travel

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Maude told Newsnight on BBC2: "The Conservative party divided roughly like the country does.

The Guardian

Today, roughly 3 million of Somalia's 7 million people are short of food.

The Guardian - Opinion

Algeria left the forerunner of the EEC when it became independent in 1962; the 56,000 residents of Greenland departed in 1985; the French Caribbean colony of Saint Barthelemy (which, with nearly 10,000 inhabitants, has as roughly the same population as Glastonbury, in Somerset) formally exited the EU in 2012.

The Guardian

A Minnesota national guardsman faces federal fraud charges in connection with the theft of names, social security numbers and security clearance levels of roughly 400 members of his former army unit in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Guardian

The service charge would be split among servers and cooks, which would give servers roughly the same income if they also get a 5% tip, but would mainly help to boost the cooks' pay to closer to $20, he said.

The Guardian - Business

In Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole, roughly 11% was awarded to local organisations compared with Africa (10%), Asia (11%) and the Middle East (3%).

The Guardian

Hospitalisation rates at St Martin's are set at about CFA 3,000 (£3.44) a day, while costs at Central hospital are roughly CFA 5,000, for example.

The Guardian

Uganda is home to roughly half the world's 700 or so mountain gorillas, and this new group tour for older families should see you locking eyes with at least one.

The Guardian - Travel

Blockbuster has roughly 3,500 remaining stores in the US, making it the country's last major DVD franchise – the rival chain Hollywood Video collapsed earlier this year.

The Guardian - Business

He had roughly the same effect on the room that black holes are said to have on their surrounding star fields.

The Guardian - Film

Armenia is the poorest country in the Caucasus, with roughly a third of the population living at or below the poverty line.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "roughly" to indicate an estimated amount or degree, particularly when precision is not critical. It adds a casual tone, suitable for general writing.

Common error

Avoid following "roughly" with overly precise details or figures. For example, instead of "roughly 50,000, give or take 100", simply state "roughly 50,000".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "roughly" is as an adverb of approximation. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate that a value or quantity is estimated rather than exact. Ludwig AI validates this usage, showcasing it in various sentence structures.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Lifestyle

11%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Travel

5%

Science

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "roughly" functions as an adverb of approximation, primarily used in neutral contexts like news and media to convey estimated quantities or degrees. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage. Alternatives include "approximately" and "about". Avoid using "roughly" when precision is required or in highly formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Approximately

Indicates a close but not exact amount, similar to "roughly" but slightly more formal.

About

A more general term for approximation, interchangeable with "roughly" in many contexts but less precise.

Around

Similar to "about", suggesting an estimation without strict precision.

In the vicinity of

A more formal way of saying "around" or "about", implying a general area or quantity.

More or less

Indicates that something is largely true or accurate, though not entirely.

In the neighborhood of

Similar to "in the vicinity of", suggesting a quantity that is close to a specific number.

Give or take

Indicates a possible slight variation around a given number or amount.

Close to

Indicates a value that is near or approaching a specific number.

Nearly

Suggests that something is very close to being a particular value or state.

Approaching

Implies that a value or quantity is moving towards a specific number but has not yet reached it.

FAQs

How can I use "roughly" in a sentence?

"Roughly" is used to indicate an approximation. For example, "The project will take "roughly three months" to complete."

What's a good alternative to "roughly"?

Alternatives include "approximately", "about", or "around", depending on the context.

Is "roughly" formal or informal?

"Roughly" is generally considered informal but acceptable in most contexts. Use more precise language in formal or technical writing.

What's the difference between "roughly" and "exactly"?

"Roughly" indicates an estimate, while "exactly" implies precise accuracy. They are antonyms and should be used in contrasting situations.