: in a vague way: such as
a
: somewhat or slightly
He's vaguely familiar with the area.
… men on foot, dressed vaguely like janitors …—
A. L. Kennedy
A. L. Kennedy
b
: not clearly
There were grants, he explained vaguely, that had to be spent before the money went back to the federal government, so my main job was to buy lavish art books, as quickly as possible.—Michael Blaine
Michael BlaineWhere once the city was a battleground for two main militias … now at least five militias claim vaguely defined pockets as their own.—Jeffrey Bartholet
Jeffrey BartholetI've always believed closers are like girlfriends: You remember the great ones, you remember the awful ones and you vaguely remember everyone in between. (You could say the same about hockey goalies and field goal kickers.)—Bill Simmons
Bill SimmonsExamples of vaguely in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to David Asp of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, newspaper editors and reporters were regularly arrested for various reasons, including speaking against the draft or writing statements that the government viewed as being pro-South or vaguely anti-Union.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Fushman went to grade school in Germany with Hamid’s sister, and the two knew of each other vaguely.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Viewers hoping for a sober, even vaguely honest look at the behind-the-scenes life of the president’s third wife should lower their expectations now.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Japan was stunned into a mainstream awareness of cults in 1995, when Aum Shinrikyo, a vaguely Buddhist meditation sect, released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, killing more than a dozen and injuring thousands.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vaguely
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.
Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Fushman went to grade school in Germany with Hamid’s sister, and the two knew of each other vaguely.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Viewers hoping for a sober, even vaguely honest look at the behind-the-scenes life of the president’s third wife should lower their expectations now.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Japan was stunned into a mainstream awareness of cults in 1995, when Aum Shinrikyo, a vaguely Buddhist meditation sect, released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, killing more than a dozen and injuring thousands.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vaguely
Cite this Entry
“Vaguely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaguely. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
