Loophole

How to spell loophole

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce loophole

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does loophole mean?

1. nounAn ambiguity or omission in a law, rule, or contract that allows someone to avoid its intended effect.
2. nounA narrow vertical opening in a wall, originally for shooting through or peering out.

Loophole in a sentence

• The accountant found a loophole that let the company defer its tax bill.

• The castle wall was pierced by a narrow loophole for the archers.

• Lawmakers rushed to close the loophole before it could be exploited.

• Daylight slipped through a single loophole in the old stone tower.

Where does loophole come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word began life in military architecture, where a loophole was a narrow vertical slit cut into a castle or fortress wall so that defenders could shoot arrows or peer out while staying protected. The first element, 'loop', comes from late Middle English, where 'loupe' meant a small opening or peephole, probably linked to the Middle Dutch verb 'lupen', meaning to lie in wait or to peer. The second element is the plain Old English 'hol', meaning a hollow or opening, the same word we still use today. By the seventeenth century the literal slit in a wall had taken on a figurative life: a loophole became any small gap or ambiguity through which someone could escape an obligation, especially in a law or contract. The spelling stays helpfully logical, since it is simply 'loop' joined to 'hole' with no hidden letters to trip you up.

How the word is built

• loop (a small opening or slit)
• hole (an opening or gap)