approximate

[uh-prok-suh-mit, 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)

approximated, approximating 

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)

approximated, approximating 

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

Other Word Forms

• approximately adverb
• approximative adjective

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

Many argue that while hard to measure, cognitive diversity can be approximated by demographics.

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His explanation for this time frame is that it approximates the debt refinancing cycle because the weighted average maturity of that debt is just over five years.

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At this point, with the search for sunken vessels still in its infancy, Throckmorton was among the world’s greatest experts in dating the approximate age of a shipwreck.

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Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police reports show that the investigation took 36 hours, at an approximate cost of $1,744.68.

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But Dek is the approximate size of a large human, a veritable runt in a race of beings that are typically between 7 and 8 feet tall.

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Related Words

• estimated www.thesaurus.com