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.
The site began commercial production earlier this month, after approximately 19 months of construction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Moderately conservative” typically means allocating approximately 40% to stocks, 50% to bonds and 10% to cash or cash-equivalent investments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Prasetyo said the president had extended his thanks to Perry "and the highest appreciation for his dedication over approximately seven years leading Bank Indonesia".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Computer simulations suggested that earlier prescribed burns prevented approximately 1,900 giant sequoia deaths.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
After a while Nelson righted his chair and sat down approximately four feet away from me.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
