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

The team calculated that this amount could generate approximately 4.7 million kilowatts of energy per year from just one location, enough to meet the yearly energy demands of more than 400 homes.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

Americans paid approximately $73 billion for oil changes and general automotive repair in 2024, according to Michael Chung, senior director of market intelligence at the Auto Care Association, a trade group.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

NextEra and Dominion shareholders will own approximately 74.5% and 25.5% of the combined company, respectively.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

NextEra shareholders will own approximately 75% of the company, with Dominion shareholders holding the rest.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Nobody knows even approximately how many asteroids there are tumbling through space, but the number is thought to be probably not less than a billion.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• almost
• generally
• relatively
• roughly