approximate

approximate — adjective

1. used to describe a number, time, or measurement that is roughly right but has no

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe a number, time, or measurement that is roughly right but has not been worked out exactly — for example, an approximate cost of $200 or an approximate travel time of two hours.

Example

The approximate cost of repairing Mia's roof was twelve thousand dollars.

approximate + noun (cost) for a rough figure

Dr. Lin gave the patient an approximate age of forty based on the bone scan.

approximate age — estimate, not exact

Common collocations
  • approximate cost
  • approximate age
  • approximate time
  • approximate number
  • approximate location
  • approximate weight
  • approximate figure
Synonyms
  • rough

    more informal; common in 'a rough estimate'

  • estimated

    stresses that someone has worked the figure out, not just guessed

  • ballpark

    informal, often in 'a ballpark figure'

Antonyms
  • exact

    fully accurate, with no rounding

  • precise

    stresses fine accuracy, often in measurement

Grammar Patterns

approximate + noun (cost, age, time, number)

Usage Note

Most often used before a noun (attributive). Common nouns it modifies: cost, age, time, number, weight, location, figure. The adverb form 'approximately' is far more frequent in speech.

Common Mistakes

I will arrive approximate at six.
I will arrive at approximately six.
use the adverb 'approximately' before a number, not the adjective.
Her answer was approximate to the truth.
Her answer was close to the truth.
the adjective does not take 'to' in normal use; use 'close to' instead.

approximate — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a number or measurement that is close to the truth but not exact. 'Approximate' is the most neutral and works in both formal writing and everyday speech, e.g. 'the approximate cost of the trip'. 'Rough' is more informal and often pairs with 'estimate', 'idea', or 'guess' — 'a rough estimate of 500 people' suggests quick mental math rather than careful calculation. 'Estimated' implies that someone has actually worked the number out, even if loosely; you might see it on a contractor's quote: 'estimated repair time: three days'. 'Ballpark' is the most informal of the four and almost always appears in 'a ballpark figure' or 'in the ballpark of', common in American business talk: 'Give me a ballpark figure for next quarter'. Use 'approximate' as your safe default; reach for the others when register or collocation calls for it.

approximate ↗rough ↗estimatedballpark

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • only approximate
  • an approximate idea
  • approximate to the average

Prepositions

  • to (verb sense)

Etymology

LatinLate Middle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into late Middle English from the Latin verb 'approximare', meaning 'to draw near to', built from the prefix 'ad-' (toward) and 'proximus' (very near, nearest). The word entered English first as a verb meaning 'to bring near' and later as an adjective describing things that are close to but not exactly the same as something else. The same Latin root gives us 'proximity' and 'proximate'.