- 1[transitive, intransitive] to be similar or close to something in nature, quality, amount, etc., but not exactly the same approximate something The animals were reared in conditions that approximated the wild as closely as possible. The total cost will approximate $15 billion.
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- 2[transitive] approximate something to calculate or estimate something fairly accurately a formula for approximating the weight of a horse
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NAmE//əˈprɑksəˌmeɪt//
(formal)Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they approximate he / she / it approximates
past simple approximated
-ing form approximating
Check pronunciation: approximate