approximately
Americanadverb
adverb
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.
Vocabulary lists containing approximately
Walk Two Moons
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Ocean Storm Alert!
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STAAR Grade 7 Mathematics: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also projected that its larger package of restaurant improvements could generate approximately $100,000 in annual gross cash-flow benefits for an average U.S. restaurant, with most of those gains eventually benefiting the bottom line.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Smith said that "a development of this kind is projected to generate approximately $688 million in local economic activity every year".
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Environment Agency has warned approximately 6.3 million homes and businesses in England remain at risk of flooding.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Women experiencing both loneliness and social isolation lived about 3.7 fewer years without mental disorders, while men lived approximately 5.8 fewer years free from those conditions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Each adult chicken will drink approximately 2 cups of water per day.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
