roughly two hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "roughly two hours" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when estimating a duration of time that is not exact, often in contexts like scheduling or planning. Example: "The meeting will take roughly two hours, so please plan accordingly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

He has roughly two hours of homework a night.

The New York Times

Humble was injected roughly two hours before competition, records show.

The New York Times

Direct trains from Birmingham or London take roughly two hours.

The Guardian - Travel

His norm is about 20 waves in roughly two hours.

The New York Times - Sports

Roughly two hours after the phone call, the police cornered him in his apartment.

The New York Times

The film is divided into two parts, each roughly two hours.

The New York Times

That incident happened at noon and snarled subway service for roughly two hours.

The New York Times

"Now, it takes me roughly two hours to tell a good one".

The New York Times

By some calculations that means the striker could be signing in roughly two hours.

The Guardian - Sport

President Obama's appearances in Western Illinois, roughly two hours from the fairgrounds, siphoned potential fairgoers on Wednesday.

The New York Times

In roughly two hours, the auctioneer briskly sold off 79 lots, about 118 photos in all, for $256,300.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "roughly two hours" when you need to communicate an approximate duration without being overly precise. It's suitable for scenarios where a general timeframe is sufficient.

Common error

Avoid using "roughly two hours" in contexts requiring exactness. If precision is needed, measure and state the time more accurately; for instance, say "1 hour and 55 minutes" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly two hours" functions primarily as an adverbial modifier, specifying the approximate duration of an event or activity. It qualifies time, as Ludwig's examples show, offering an estimation instead of a precise measurement.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Wiki

2%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "roughly two hours" is a common and correct way to express an approximate duration. Ludwig's analysis indicates it functions as an adverbial modifier, primarily used in neutral contexts like news and media to provide an estimated timeframe. While grammatically sound, remember that more precise language is needed in situations that require exactness. For more formal settings, consider alternatives such as "approximately two hours". Overall, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, "roughly two hours" is a reliable and versatile phrase for general communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately two hours

Replaces "roughly" with a more formal synonym, maintaining the same meaning.

about two hours

Uses a more common and less formal term than "roughly".

around two hours

Similar in meaning to "about two hours", implying an estimation.

nearly two hours

Indicates that the actual time is close to, but not quite, two hours.

almost two hours

Like "nearly", suggests the time is slightly less than two hours.

in the neighborhood of two hours

A more verbose way of expressing an approximate duration.

in the vicinity of two hours

Similar to "in the neighborhood of", but slightly more formal.

in the range of two hours

Suggests a possible range around the two-hour mark.

an estimated two hours

Emphasizes that the time is an estimate.

give or take two hours

Implies that the actual time could be a little more or a little less than two hours.

FAQs

What does "roughly two hours" mean?

The phrase "roughly two hours" indicates an approximate duration of time, meaning around or about two hours, without being precise.

What can I say instead of "roughly two hours"?

You can use alternatives like "approximately two hours", "about two hours", or "around two hours" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it appropriate to use "roughly two hours" in formal writing?

While acceptable, it might be better to use a more formal alternative like "approximately two hours" in formal writing to maintain a professional tone. In less formal contexts "about two hours" might be more appropriate.

How accurate is "roughly two hours"?

The accuracy of "roughly two hours" depends on the context, it generally implies a range of time that is close to two hours but not necessarily exact. The perceived range might differ from a few minutes to half an hour, depending on the situation.