approximately

approximately — adverb

1. used in front of a number, amount, or time to show that the figure is near the r

1.adverbB1
Definition

used in front of a number, amount, or time to show that the figure is near the real one but might not be exact.

Example

Approximately 200 students attended Amara's graduation ceremony last Friday.

approximately + number of people

The drive from Taipei to Kaohsiung takes approximately four hours by car.

approximately + duration

Common collocations
  • approximately equal to
  • approximately the same
  • approximately equivalent
Synonyms
  • about

    more common in everyday speech and writing

  • around

    informal, often used with times and ages

  • roughly

    slightly less precise; common in spoken English

  • circa

    formal, mainly used with historical dates

Antonyms
  • exactly

    shows the figure is precise

  • precisely

    stronger than 'exactly', often emphasising accuracy

Grammar Patterns

approximately + number/quantity/time

Usage Note

Almost always placed directly before a number, quantity, or time expression. Common in formal writing, news, and reports; in casual speech, speakers usually prefer 'about' or 'around'.

Common Mistakes

The team has 50 members approximately.
The team has approximately 50 members.
'approximately' goes before the number, not after the noun phrase.
It will take approximately.
It will take approximately ten minutes.
'approximately' must be followed by a number or quantity, not used on its own.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words signal that a number is close to but not exactly the figure given. 'Approximately' is the most formal and is preferred in news reports, academic writing, and official documents — for example, 'The population is approximately 2.5 million.' 'About' is the everyday choice and works in any register: 'It costs about ten dollars.' 'Around' feels slightly more casual than 'about' and is especially common with times and ages: 'I'll see you around six.' 'Roughly' suggests a quicker, less careful estimate and is common in conversation: 'The trip is roughly 100 kilometres.' When in doubt, learners can safely use 'about' in speech and 'approximately' in formal writing.

approximately ↗about ↗around ↗roughly ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • approximately equal to
  • approximately the same as
  • approximately equivalent to

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

Comes from the Latin verb 'approximare', meaning 'to come near to', formed from 'ad-' ('to') and 'proximus' ('nearest'). The adjective 'approximate' entered English in the 15th century with the sense of 'very near', and the adverb form 'approximately' appeared later, settling into its modern meaning of 'nearly but not exactly' by the 18th century.