Meaning & use
approximately
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UK/əˈprɒksɪmətli/
US/əˈprɑːksɪmətli/
Meaning
adverbnot comparableformal
Used to show that a number or amount is close to the real one but not exact.
Grammar: Comes before a number or measure: approximately ten minutes.
Patterns
- approximately + number
The trip takes approximately two hours.
Approximately half of the students passed the exam.
The room measures approximately five meters across.
Common combinations
- approximately equal
- The two figures are approximately equal.
- approximately one third
- Approximately one third of the budget goes to wages.
- approximately correct
- Your estimate is approximately correct.
- takes approximately
- The process takes approximately an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- roughly
- Roughly is more casual and sounds like a quick guess rather than a careful estimate.
- about
- About is the everyday choice and is less formal than approximately.
- around
- Around is informal and often used with times and prices, where approximately sounds stiffer.
- nearly
- Nearly means just short of a number, whereas approximately could be a little over or under.
Opposites
Word family
- approximate adjective
- close to exact but not completely
- approximate verb
- to come close to something
- approximation noun
- an estimate that is nearly correct
Commonly confused: approximately or apparently?
approximately vs apparently
Approximately is about amounts, while apparently means according to what seems or what people say.
Practice
The distance is not exact; it is ____ ten kilometers.
Choose one answer.
Approximately shows an inexact figure. Exactly and precisely mean the opposite, and definitely does not express closeness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “approximately”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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