roughly three kilometers

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "roughly three kilometers" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when providing an approximate distance or measurement. Example: "The trail is roughly three kilometers long, making it a suitable hike for beginners."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Last week, I visited to the Lumiar Secondary School in northern Lisbon, headquarters of a mega-agrupamento of seven schools roughly five kilometers apart.

The New York Times

Roughly six kilometers of the bridge will stretch over open water.

Vice

That's clever, because it allows you to create a detector with dimensions that are roughly the distance that light travels in seawater, about four kilometers or so.

MIT Technology Review

The explosion occurred about five kilometers (three miles) from the main gate of the massive military installation run by the US-led coandtion and roughly 500 meters from an Afghan military base.

Independent

The breakaway began with about seven kilometers to go.

The Guardian - Sport

Each bridgehead was on average six kilometers (3¾ mi) wide and around two kilometers deep.

Wikipedia

Roofnet has been operating for about three years across an area of roughly four square kilometers near MIT, using a few dozen transmitting/receiving nodes and one wired Internet connection through MIT.

MIT Technology Review

And signals weaken as they traverse the roughly 300 million kilometers (about 180 million miles) from Mars to Earth.

Stanford University

In several billion years, our sun, entering its so-called red giant phase (artist's impression above), will expand to roughly 100 times its present size, shrinking its distance from Jupiter from 765 million to roughly 500 million kilometers and causing the giant planet to glow like "faint red coils" on a hot electric stove.

Science Magazine

Specifically, the ions were thought to originate in the inner and middle portions of the magnetosphere, which stretch to roughly 2 million kilometers above Jupiter's surface.

Science Magazine

On this scale, Earth-Sun distance is 1 astronomical unit, which is roughly 150 million kilometers.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "roughly three kilometers", ensure the context requires only an approximate distance. If precision is crucial, provide the exact measurement or a more precise range.

Common error

Avoid using "roughly three kilometers" when more accurate data is available. Using an approximation when precision is possible undermines credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly three kilometers" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a distance. Ludwig AI confirms this usage is grammatically correct, employing "roughly" as an adverb of approximation to qualify the measurement.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "roughly three kilometers" serves as a convenient way to express an approximate distance. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and utility across various contexts, particularly in News & Media, Science, and Academia. While acceptable in most scenarios, remember to prioritize precision when it is crucial. Consider alternatives like "approximately three kilometers" for a more formal tone or specifying a range for greater accuracy. The phrase is relatively uncommon, but it's still usable. Overall, "roughly three kilometers" offers a useful balance between informality and clarity when estimating distances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately three kilometers

Replaces "roughly" with a more formal synonym, maintaining the same degree of approximation.

about three kilometers

Substitutes "roughly" with a more common and slightly less formal alternative.

around three kilometers

Replaces "roughly" with a synonym that suggests a degree of imprecision.

nearly three kilometers

Indicates that the distance is close to, but not exactly, three kilometers.

just about three kilometers

Adds emphasis to the approximation.

close to three kilometers

Indicates that the distance is near three kilometers.

in the vicinity of three kilometers

Uses a more descriptive phrase to indicate the approximate distance.

something like three kilometers

Informally suggests the distance is similar to three kilometers.

in the neighborhood of three kilometers

Offers a more colloquial way of expressing an approximate distance.

in the range of two to four kilometers

Provides a broader range to indicate the approximate distance.

FAQs

What does "roughly" mean in the phrase "roughly three kilometers"?

In the phrase "roughly three kilometers", "roughly" indicates an approximation or an estimate. It means the distance is near or close to three kilometers, but not necessarily exactly three kilometers.

What are some alternatives to saying "roughly three kilometers"?

You can use alternatives like "approximately three kilometers", "about three kilometers", or "around three kilometers" to express a similar meaning.

Is it appropriate to use "roughly three kilometers" in formal writing?

While "roughly three kilometers" is acceptable, it may be more suitable for informal contexts. In formal writing, consider using "approximately three kilometers" for a more professional tone or providing a range like "between 2.5 and 3.5 kilometers" for greater precision.

How accurate is "roughly three kilometers"?

The accuracy of "roughly three kilometers" depends on the context. It suggests a general vicinity, so it might be accurate to within a few hundred meters. For applications needing higher precision, specify a tighter range or provide an exact measurement.