approximate
[adjective uh-prok-suh-mit; verb uh-prok-suh-meyt]
- near or approaching a certain state, condition, goal, or standard.
- nearly exact; not perfectly accurate or correct: The approximate time was 10 o'clock.
- near; close together.
- very similar; nearly identical.
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- to come near to; approach closely to: to approximate an ideal.
- to estimate: We approximated the distance at three miles.
- to simulate; imitate closely: The motions of the stars can be approximated in a planetarium.
- to bring near.
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- to come near in position, character, amount, etc.
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Origin of approximate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for approximately
Contemporary Examples
Approximately 100 Romney fans were invited on the call, he said.
All in all, approximately 13,000 Allied POWs and 90,000 Asian laborers perished while working on the railway.
An NYPD spokesperson told The Daily Beast that the lead suspect is a black man, approximately six feet tall.
How to Get Away With Stealing $2 Million in Jewelry in the Heart of New YorkJohn Surico
November 13, 2014
Wetzel told me that at approximately the 10-year mark, lifers tend to become altruistic and “start getting involved.”
Of the approximately 55,000 square miles of land in New York State, less than 500 of them are in New York City.
Historical Examples
He had approximately as many men at his disposal as his colleague—about 250,000.
Their position then—according to Pitt's log—was approximately 75 deg.
Captain BloodRafael Sabatini
Depth of the bed ran about 32 inches and the width was approximately 42 to 46 inches.
Conestoga Wagons in Braddock's Campaign, 1755Don H. Berkebile
On the shores of this lake there are, approximately, 15,000 acres of grapes.
Manual of American Grape-GrowingU. P. Hedrick
In the public schools there are (approximately) 390 men and 316 women teachers.
approximately
- close to; around; roughly or in the region of
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approximate
- almost accurate or exact
- inexact; rough; looseonly an approximate fit
- much alike; almost the same
- near; close together
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- (usually foll by to) to come or bring near or close; be almost the same (as)
- maths to find an expression for (some quantity) accurate to a specified degreeSee accurate (def. 4)
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Word Origin
C15: from Late Latin approximāre, from Latin proximus nearest, from prope near
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for approximately
adv.
1742, from approximate (adj.) + -ly (2).
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approximate
adj.
early 15c., from Latin approximatus, past participle of approximare "to come near to," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + proximare "come near," from proximus "nearest," superlative of prope "near" (see propinquity).
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approximate
v.
early 15c., "to bring or put close," from approximate (adj.). Meaning "to come close" is from 1789. Related: Approximated; approximating.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
approximate
(ə-prŏk′sə-māt′)- To bring together, as cut edges of tissue.
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- Relating to the contact surfaces, either proximal or distal, of two adjacent teeth; proximate.
- Close together. Used of the teeth in the human jaw.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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