approximation

[uh-prok-suh-mey-shuhn]

noun

1. a guess or estimate.

   Ninety-three million miles is an approximation of the distance of the earth from the sun.

2. nearness in space, position, degree, or relation; proximity; closeness.

3. Mathematics, Physics.,  a result that is not necessarily exact, but is within the limits of accuracy required for a given purpose.

approximation

/ əˌprɒksɪˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the process or result of making a rough calculation, estimate, or guess

   he based his conclusion on his own approximation of the fuel consumption

2. an imprecise or unreliable record or version

   an approximation of what really happened

3. maths an inexact number, relationship, or theory that is sufficiently accurate for a specific purpose

4. maths

   1. an estimate of the value of some quantity to a desired degree of accuracy

   2. an expression in simpler terms than a given expression which approximates to it

Other Word Forms

• approximative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of approximation¹

1400–50; late Middle English approximacioun (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin approximātiōn-, stem of approximātiō. See approximate, -ion

Example Sentences

From my vantage point — again, about three-fourths of the way into the theater — the animatronic was a more-than-respectable approximation of Disney.

From Los Angeles Times

To stay safe, some immigrants have swapped in-person activities with digital approximations.

From Los Angeles Times

The figure is considered a good approximation for arrests.

From Los Angeles Times

The Dodgers would welcome a return to even an approximation of that effectiveness.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Gatz,” the novel’s narrative texture was conveyed through zany approximation — the troupe finding Fitzgerald not by effacing itself but by embracing its eccentric difference.

From Los Angeles Times