loophole
/ˈluːpˌhoʊl/
noun
Origin
Middle Low German
lūpen + hol — to peer/look + hole
Overview
Meaning Now
- An ambiguity, inadequacy, or technicality in a law, contract, or set of rules that allows one to circumvent or avoid the intended purpose of the regulation.
- A narrow opening in a wall or fortification through which missiles or arrows could be discharged.
Literal older meaning
An opening (loop) through which to look or shoot.
Language path
Middle Low German → Middle English → English
Earliest form
loupehole
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term originated as a technical architectural feature in medieval fortifications. By the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the metaphor was applied to abstract situations, specifically as a 'way out' or a 'means of escape' from restricted conditions, eventually solidifying into the modern legal and bureaucratic sense of circumventing rules.
Evolution
- 16th century
loupehole
“a narrow aperture for viewing or shooting”
Used in military contexts.
- 17th century
loophole
“an opening in a fortification”
- 18th century
loophole
“a means of escape or evasion”
Figurative extension from the concept of an opening for flight or exit.
Connections
Word parts
loop
root
to peer, watch, or look
hole
root
an aperture or cavity
Related across languages
Middle Dutch
luupen
to watch or peer
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Related to loophole
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.