Vague language: imprecision – C1 English Vocabulary

Vague language: imprecision

In this Advanced Vocabulary lesson about Vague Language, you will learn a range of expressions used to make language deliberately vague or imprecise. Check the table below and read the definitions and sentence examples to understand their meanings and learn how to use them naturally in context.

Approximate numbers and quantities

1 Roughly is used to say that a number or amount is approximate, not exact.

• Roughly half of the participants agreed with the proposal.

2 Somewhere around is used to give an imprecise estimate, often when the exact figure is unknown.

• The project cost somewhere around €50,000.

3 In the region of is a more formal expression used to indicate an approximate figure.

• The company employs in the region of 2,000 people worldwide.

4 On the order of is used in formal or academic contexts to describe the general scale of a number.

• The delay was on the order of several weeks.

5 Give or take is used after a number to show that it may vary slightly.

• The journey takes about two hours, give or take.

6 Thereabouts is used to mean ‘approximately that number or place’.

• The temperature should stay at around 20 degrees, or thereabouts.

7 Or so is used after a number to mean ‘approximately’.

• It took an hour or so to finish the task.

8 More or less is used to indicate that something is approximately true.

• The figures are more or less the same as last year’s.

9 A ballpark figure refers to a rough estimate rather than an exact number.

• Can you give me a ballpark figure for the total cost?

Vague limits and ranges

10 At least is used to say that a number or amount is the minimum possible.

• The repairs will cost at least €5,000.

11 At most is used to say that a number or amount is the maximum possible.

• The meeting will last an hour at most.

12 No more than is used to emphasise that a number does not exceed a particular limit.

• The room can hold no more than 30 people.

13 In excess of is a formal expression meaning ‘more than’.

• The project cost in excess of €1 million.

14 Just over / just under are used to indicate a number that is slightly more or less than a stated figure.

• The population is just over 500,000.

15 In the low / mid / high + numbers is used to give an approximate range within a decade.

• She’s in her mid thirties.

Informal suffixes

16 -ish is added to numbers or times to mean ‘approximately’.

• Let’s meet at sixish.

17 -something is used to give a vague age or number.

• He’s thirty-something and works in marketing.

18 -odd is used after a number to mean ‘a little more than’.

• There were twenty-odd people at the event.

Imprecise statements

19 Broadly speaking is used to make a general statement without focusing on details.

• Broadly speaking, the results confirm our initial expectations.

20 To some extent is used to say that something is partly true, but not completely.

• The policy was successful to some extent, but it also had limitations.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Vague Language, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.