roughly said

USAGE SUMMARY

"roughly said" is a correct and usable expression in written English.
You can use it when you are summarizing a long explanation or statement by expressing it more succinctly. For example: "In short, roughly said, moving to a new city can be both exciting and daunting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

One morning I got an e-mail message from Obama that roughly said: David, if you want to critique us, fine.

The New York Times

Over all, investors seemed to interpret yesterday's economic data as "benign, roughly," said Jon Brorson, director of equities for Northern Trust, a money management concern.

The New York Times

Roughly said, this is why fans and writers and those of us deeply interested in that decision can only crawl into that space awkwardly and incompletely.

The Guardian - Sport

Freedman said: "Around about lunchtime they received a text message which roughly said 'I'm in a truck, it's not stopping, I've got no oxygen … help.' Because they were in New York and I was in London they rang me straight away and I got hold of Kent police".

The Guardian

It seems (roughly said) the eigenfunctions work in pair so that adding only one of the pair might have a slightly negative impact for the target metrics.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Roughly said, the adjoining Alps consist of nappes stacked due to the collision and subduction processes in the Mediterranean area during Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic times (Schmid et al. 2004a, b; Handy and Rosenberg 2011).

Geothermal Energy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

This means, roughly, "Say it to them in Spanish right now, if you want".

The New Yorker

We can roughly say that this happens when the quantization distortion is negligible comparing with the thermal noise.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

We could roughly say that it is a collection with characteristics that land in between those previously discussed datasets (UKBench and UCID).

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Against it the argument has been made that the direction of fit of desire is incompatible with the direction of fit of elements of consciousness, on the grounds that desires (roughly) say how things should be while consciousness (roughly) says how things are (Hulse, Read, and Schroeder 2004).

SEP

The analysis roughly says: x is valuable to s just in case there is a truth p such that were s to known p then she would desire x.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "roughly said" when you want to indicate that you are giving an approximate or simplified version of something, rather than a precise quote or detailed explanation. This is useful in situations where the exact details are not as important as the general idea.

Common error

While "roughly said" is acceptable, overuse in formal or academic writing can make your tone seem imprecise or informal. Opt for more specific summarizing phrases like "in essence" or "to summarize" if you're aiming for a polished, professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly said" functions as a discourse marker or qualifier. It's used to introduce an inexact or simplified version of something someone stated. Ludwig AI confirms this is an acceptable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "roughly said" is a grammatically correct phrase used to introduce an approximation or simplification of a statement. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability. While it appears more frequently in news and media contexts, it can also be used in scientific and business settings, though perhaps less often in strictly formal writing. When choosing a suitable alternative, consider phrases like "broadly speaking" or "to put it simply" depending on the context and desired level of formality. Overusing "roughly said" may make your writing appear imprecise, so using it judiciously is advisable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

broadly speaking

Indicates a general overview without precise details.

in essence

Focuses on the core meaning, simplifying complex details.

to put it simply

Emphasizes clarity and ease of understanding.

in a nutshell

Condenses information into a very brief summary.

more or less

Indicates a degree of approximation or inexactness.

generally speaking

Similar to 'broadly speaking', but can apply to rules or trends.

to summarize

Explicitly states the act of providing a summary.

in other words

Offers a rephrasing for clarification.

essentially

Highlights the fundamental nature of a statement.

in broad strokes

Describes something without going into detail.

FAQs

How can I use "roughly said" in a sentence?

You can use "roughly said" to introduce a simplified version of a statement or concept. For example, "Roughly said, the theory suggests that the universe is constantly expanding."

What's the difference between "roughly said" and "in essence"?

"Roughly said" implies an approximation, whereas ""in essence"" suggests capturing the core meaning of something, potentially omitting details.

Is it appropriate to use "roughly said" in academic writing?

While generally acceptable, using "roughly said" sparingly in academic writing is advisable. More precise alternatives, such as "to summarize" or "in brief", may be preferable to maintain a formal tone.

What can I say instead of "roughly said"?

You can use alternatives like "generally speaking", "in a nutshell", or "to put it simply" depending on the context.