approximate

[ adjective uh-prok-suh-mit; verb uh-prok-suh-meyt ]

adjective

1. near or approaching a certain state, condition, goal, or standard.
2. nearly exact; not perfectly accurate or correct:

   The approximate time was 10 o'clock.

3. near; close together.
4. very similar; nearly identical.

verb (used with object)

, ap·prox·i·mat·ed, ap·prox·i·mat·ing.

1. to come near to; approach closely to:

   to approximate an ideal.

2. to estimate:

   We approximated the distance at three miles.

3. to simulate; imitate closely:

   The motions of the stars can be approximated in a planetarium.

4. to bring near.

verb (used without object)

, ap·prox·i·mat·ed, ap·prox·i·mat·ing.

1. to come near in position, character, amount, etc.

approximate

adjective

1. almost accurate or exact
2. inexact; rough; loose

   only an approximate fit

3. much alike; almost the same
4. near; close together

verb

1. usually foll by to to come or bring near or close; be almost the same (as)
2. maths to find an expression for (some quantity) accurate to a specified degree See accurate

Derived Forms

• apˈproximative, adjective

Other Words From

• ap·proxi·mate·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of approximate¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin approximātus drawn near to, approached (past participle of approximāre ). See ap- ¹, proximate

Word History and Origins

Origin of approximate¹

C15: from Late Latin approximāre, from Latin proximus nearest, from prope near

Example Sentences

So he had to have some reason to believe that Thompson was going to be coming out of that door at an approximate time to be able to lay in wait.

From Slate

So, he had to have some reason to believe that he was going to be coming out of that door at an approximate time to be able to lay and wait.

From Slate

The world's oldest known wild bird has laid an egg at the approximate age of 74, US biologists say.

From BBC

They also employed radiocarbon dating -- a method that measures the decay of radioactive carbon-14 atoms in organic material -- to determine the approximate ages of peach pits and other organic samples, like carbonized tree wood, from 28 archaeological sites and two regional locales where archaeologists previously recovered preserved peach pits.

From Science Daily

There is also an approximate one second delay in information as it goes between Earth and the ISS, slowing down the pace of conversations astronauts have with their loved ones on Earth.

From Salon