What does "approximate" mean?
An approximate result or quantity.
Approximate
/əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An approximate result or quantity.
- Grammar: approximate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: near, rough, accost, advance.
- Useful contrasts: exact, precise, accurate observations.
- Usage evidence: What's their approximate worth?
How to use "approximate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "approximate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "approximate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "approximate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "approximate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "approximate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "near" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "approximate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An approximate result or quantity. rare
Verb
- 1 To estimate. ambitransitive
"I approximated the value of pi by taking 22 divided by 7."
- 2 judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time) wordnet
- 3 To come near to; to approach. transitive
"When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth."
- 4 be close or similar wordnet
- 5 To carry or advance near; to cause to approach. transitive
"to approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature"
Adjective
- 1 Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
- 2 Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
"approximate results or values"
- 3 Drawn close together, but not united.
Adjective
- 1 located close together wordnet
- 2 very close in resemblance wordnet
- 3 not quite exact or correct wordnet
Example
"What's their approximate worth?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "approximate"?
Common synonyms include: near, rough, accost, advance, advancing, analog gauge.
How do you use "approximate" in a sentence?
What's their approximate worth?
How do you pronounce "approximate"?
Pronounced /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The noun was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate.
Etymology 2
From Middle English approximaten (“to bring, put close (to)”), from approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin approximātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.