approximate
adjective/əˈprɒksɪmət/
/əˈprɑːksɪmət/
- almost correct or accurate, but not completely so
- an approximate number/total/cost
- The cost given is only approximate.
- Use these figures as an approximate guide in your calculations.
- Construction was completed at an approximate cost of $4.1 million.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryApproximate is used with these nouns:- calculation
- dimension
- equivalent
- …
Word Originlate Middle English (in the adjectival sense ‘close, similar’): from late Latin approximatus, past participle of approximare, from ad- ‘to’ + proximus ‘very near’. The verb (originally meaning ‘bring close’) arose in the mid 17th cent.; the current use as an adjective dates from the early 19th cent.Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
approximate