1-Stop Dictionary Reference

Loophole

Acceptable For Game Play - US & UK word lists

This word is acceptable for play in the US & UK dictionaries that are being used in the following games:

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

n. A way of escaping a difficulty, especially an omission or ambiguity in the wording of a contract or law that provides a means of evading compliance.

n. A small hole or slit in a wall, especially one through which small arms may be fired.

Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. A method of escape, especially an ambiguity or exception in a rule that can be exploited in order to avoid its effect.

n. A slit in a castle wall. Later: any similar window for shooting a weapon or letting in light.

v. To prepare a building for defense by preparing slits or holes through which to fire on attackers

the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. A small opening, as in the walls of fortification, or in the bulkhead of a ship, through which small arms or other weapons may be discharged at an enemy.

n. A hole or aperture that gives a passage, or the means of escape or evasion.

n. An amibiguity or unintended omission in a law, rule, regulation, or contract which allows a party to circumvent the intent of the text and avoid its obligations under certain circumstances. -- used usually in a negative sense; -- distinguished from escape clause in that the latter usually is included to deliberately allow evasion of obligation under certain specified and foreseen circumstances.

The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

n. A small aperture, narrow toward the outside and splayed within, in the walls of a fortification or of any similar structure, through which small-arms may be fired at an enemy, or observations may be taken.

n. An opening into or out of anything; a hole or aperture that gives a passage or the means of escape: often used figuratively, and especially of an underhand or unfair method of escape or evasion.

WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

n. a small hole in a fortified wall; for observation or discharging weapons

n. an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation

Word Usage

"Corbett has rejected the term loophole, saying that in the case of gun-safety training, Florida's standards are stricter than Pennsylvania's."

Antonym

escape clause

Verb Form

loopholed loopholes

Hypernym

Words that are more generic or abstract

hole ambiguity

Synonym

Words with the same meaning

hole aperture vent Meuse muse embrasure

Same Context

Words that are found in similar contexts

battlements opening flaw crevice