approximately

American  

[uh-prok-suh-mit-lee] / əˈprɒk sə mɪt li /

adverb

1. about; roughly; more or less.

   It’s approximately 25 miles from here to El Paso.

   Add approximately 2 cups of milk or water.

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approximately British  

/ əˈprɒksɪmɪtlɪ /

adverb

1. close to; around; roughly or in the region of

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Etymology

Origin of approximately

First recorded in 1845–50; approximate ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

Approximately is close to a particular time, measurement, or number — but it's not exact. If you plan to meet a friend at approximately 2:00, it will be okay if you are a bit early or late. Approximately has its roots in the Latin word proximus, meaning "nearly." So, approximately means "about" or "close to." If you tell someone there will be approximately seventy people at a dinner, it means you expect seventy people, though the actual number could be a little more or a little less than seventy.

Example Sentences

Approximately 28,600 people were infected and more than 11,000 died, but hundreds of thousands of lives were spared because the U.S. and the international community acted decisively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Approximately 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium will begin voting Thursday over whether to authorize a strike just a week before the World Cup is scheduled to kick off at the Inglewood venue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Approximately 600 people -- including guides -- have summited Everest since the start of this year's spring climbing season in April.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Approximately 42,000 voters had already cast absentee ballots with those races on them.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Approximately once a month there are not-quite regularly scheduled Midnight Dinners that are most often referred to by the guests as Circus Dinners.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• almost
• generally
• relatively
• roughly