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

“We have line of sight to monetizing approximately 800 megawatts of power over time, and our pipeline of interest remains deep and active.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The Mirabel headquarters and manufacturing facilities employs approximately 4,000 people, while another facility in Mobile, Alabama, is home to the second A220 manufacturing facility.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

And in the approximately 5% of U.S. stores that are unionized, the program is subject to collective bargaining, or negotiation with the union.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Vodafone has indicated the reduction was approximately 40%.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

It was commonplace to regard this as approximately one quarter of the earth/water globe, but it could extend to up to half of the earth/water globe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• almost
• generally
• relatively
• roughly