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.
"Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby," a spokesperson for utility company Con Edison told the BBC's media partner CBS.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Just look at the data: Approximately 37% of job seekers are applying to more jobs than ever, but they are hearing back less from those companies, according to Linkedin.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Approximately 120 people had evacuated as of 9 a.m. that morning, Cason told local reporters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Approximately 40 organizations involved in the design, maintenance or operation of computer systems are said to have joined Glasswing.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Approximately 80 percent of criminal defendants are indigent and thus unable to hire a lawyer.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
