codyg1985’s Think Tank

One of the most common mistake I see on the web is the use of the word “loose” where the word “lose” should be used instead. Here is an example from an ArsTechnica article (emphasis added):

You can restore things to their rightful order via the Keyboard & Mouse preference panel, but then you loose the ability to easily adjust the volume or brightness of the iMac via the keyboard.

Loose, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictonary, means “to let fly” or “to make less rigid” when used as a verb (as in the case of when the word “lose” should be used instead). The above sentence does not mean that you are letting fly or making less rigid the ability to easily adjust the volume or brightness. The word lose should be used instead, which means “to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain.” So yes, in fact you would fail to keep, sustain, or maintain the ability to adjust the volume or brightness, not make the volume or brightness less rigid.

That is all.