approximation
[ uh-prok-suh-mey-shuh n ]
/ əˌprɒk səˈmeɪ ʃən /
noun
a guess or estimate: Ninety-three million miles is an approximation of the distance of the earth from the sun.
nearness in space, position, degree, or relation; proximity; closeness.
Mathematics, Physics. a result that is not necessarily exact, but is within the limits of accuracy required for a given purpose.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- approx.,
- approximal,
- approximant,
- approximate,
- approximately,
- approximation suture,
- appt.,
- apptd.,
- appulse,
- appurtenance
Origin of approximation
1400–50; late Middle English approximacioun (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin approximātiōn-, stem of approximātiō. See approximate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for approximation
approximation
/ (əˌprɒksɪˈmeɪʃən) /
noun
the process or result of making a rough calculation, estimate, or guesshe based his conclusion on his own approximation of the fuel consumption
an imprecise or unreliable record or versionan approximation of what really happened
maths an inexact number, relationship, or theory that is sufficiently accurate for a specific purpose
maths
- an estimate of the value of some quantity to a desired degree of accuracy
- an expression in simpler terms than a given expression which approximates to it
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
approximation
early 15c., "act of coming near or close," noun of action from approximate (v.). Meaning "result of approximating" is from 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
approximation
[ ə-prŏk′sə-mā′shən ]
n.
Bringing tissue edges into desired apposition for suturing.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.