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approximation

[ uh-prok-suh-mey-shuhn ]
/ əˌprɒk səˈmeɪ ʃən /
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See synonyms for: approximation / approximative on Thesaurus.com

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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Origin of approximation

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

OTHER WORDS FROM approximation

ap·prox·i·ma·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use approximation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions 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
  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
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
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