approach

American  

[uh-prohch] / əˈproʊtʃ /

verb (used with object)

approaches, present (3rd person singular) approached, past participle, past approaching present participle

1. to come near or nearer to.

   The cars slowed down as they approached the intersection.

   Synonyms:

   near

2. to come near to in quality, character, time, or condition; to come within range for comparison.

   As a poet he hardly approaches Keats.

3. to present, offer, or make a proposal or request to.

   to approach the president with a suggestion.

4. to begin work on; set about.

   to approach a problem.

5. to make advances to; address.

6. to bring near to something.

   Antonyms:

   withdraw

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verb (used without object)

approaches, present (3rd person singular) approached, past participle, past approaching present participle

1. to come nearer; draw near.

   A storm is approaching.

2. to come near in character, time, amount, etc.; approximate.

noun

approaches plural

1. the act of drawing near.

   the approach of a train.

2. nearness or close approximation.

   a fair approach to accuracy.

3. any means of access, as a road or ramp.

   the approaches to a city.

4. the method used or steps taken in setting about a task, problem, etc..

   His approach to any problem was to prepare an outline.

5. the course to be followed by an aircraft in approaching for a landing or in joining a traffic pattern.

   The plane's approach to the airport was hazardous.

6. Sometimes approaches. a presentation, offer, or proposal.

7. Military. approaches, works for protecting forces in an advance against a fortified position.

8. Also called approach shot.  Golf. a stroke made after teeing off, by which a player attempts to get the ball onto the putting green.

9. Bowling.

   1. the steps taken and the manner employed in delivering the ball.

      He favors a four-step approach.

   2. Also called runway.  the area behind the foul line, from which the ball is delivered.

approach British  

/ əˈprəʊtʃ /

verb

1. to come nearer in position, time, quality, character, etc, to (someone or something)

2. (tr) to make advances to, as with a proposal, suggestion, etc

3. (tr) to begin to deal with

   to approach a problem

4. rare (tr) to cause to come near

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noun

1. the act of coming towards or drawing close or closer

2. a close approximation

3. the way or means of entering or leaving; access

4. (often plural) an advance or overture to a person

5. a means adopted in tackling a problem, job of work, etc

6. Also called: approach path.  the course followed by an aircraft preparing for landing

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• approacher
  noun
• reapproach
  verb
• approachless
  adjective
• unapproached
  adjective
• unapproaching
  adjective
• well-approached
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• approaches
  plural

Participles

• approaching
  present
• approached
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• approach
  simple
• approaches
  simple
• have approached
  perfect
• has approached
  perfect
• am approaching
  progressive
• are approaching
  progressive
• is approaching
  progressive
• have been approaching
  perfect progressive
• has been approaching
  perfect progressive

Past

• approached
  simple
• had approached
  perfect
• was approaching
  progressive
• were approaching
  progressive
• had been approaching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will approach
  simple
• will have approached
  perfect
• will be approaching
  progressive
• will have been approaching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of approach

First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English a(p)prochen, from Old French aprochier, from Late Latin adpropiāre “to draw near,” equivalent to ad- “to” and propiāre “to draw near,” derivative of Latin propius “nearer” (comparative of prope “near”), replacing Latin appropinquāre; (noun) late Middle English approche, derivative of the verb; see ad- ( def. ), propinquity ( def. )

Explanation

To approach is to get near something. An airplane is cleared for a final approach just as the wheels approach the landing strip. Approach comes from the Latin word appropriare which means "go nearer to." You can physically approach something, like a waiter going to a table. Or, you can approach a subject, usually one you're a little nervous about — like a new employee might approach her boss about getting a raise. Time can also approach, like winter, midnight, or even old age.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

approach approaches approached approaching

This year James Bailey, who has written before on Spark’s early fiction, takes a more fragmentary approach to the author in “Like a Cat Loves a Bird.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

This was supposed to be the Netherlands' time, as Johan Cruyff and co dazzled throughout the tournament with their revolutionary Total Football approach.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

I’m worried about your credit-card debt and I’m worried about your approach.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

For his part, Connor always feared that the show’s “rose-tinted” approach, though part of the story’s appeal, “would not be nuanced enough to talk about the complexities of being human and being young.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

As I approach the station, I keep waiting to be afraid of the sound of a skittering rock, a shadow in the doorway, an unrecognizable voice.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The U.S. and China have taken different approaches in the AI models that underlie chatbots such as Claude and ChatGPT.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

The scientists say this combination of specialized pathways and electrical communication offers the retina the best of both approaches.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

A white truck slowly approaches the scene, but after the bison charges the truck the driver speeds off.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Old-fashioned approaches to getting and keeping a job also haven’t gone out of style, Hetrick said, like lowering your salary expectations and taking what you can get.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

The results favor integrative and holistic approaches that support the ideals of what a skilled 21st century student should know.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

The court heard one man approached Davies believing he was in a genuine relationship with her, after exchanging months of messages with one of Weston's fake accounts.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Minutes after arriving, a server named Juan approached and asked if I wanted the Champagne and caviar service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

You approached the Onion when you first heard that they were trying to acquire InfoWars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Spirits company Sazerac also approached Brown-Forman about a deal, which Brown-Forman rejected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Down below was a large creature that did not flee as I approached, and another, much smaller, swimming next to it—a baby.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

At 22.3 times the next 12 month earnings, it’s approaching the 20.6 mark which would be in the tenth-lowest percentile.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Marion Laboure, senior strategist at Deutsche Bank Research, says Fifa is "without question" the main winner with its revenues over the four-year cycle period approaching $13bn.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

American jet fighters have also intervened to protect tankers from approaching fastboats and other hazards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

"Hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and can result in the Air Quality Health Index approaching the high-risk category," Environment and Climate Change Canada said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

What woke me was the hum of an approaching motor.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• attitude
• concept
• idea
• manner
• means
• method
• mode
• procedure
• program
• style
• technique
• way