approximately

American  

[uh-prok-suh-mit-lee] / əˈprɒk sə mɪt li /

adverb

1. about; roughly; more or less.

   It’s approximately 25 miles from here to El Paso.

   Add approximately 2 cups of milk or water.

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approximately British  

/ əˈprɒksɪmɪtlɪ /

adverb

1. close to; around; roughly or in the region of

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Etymology

Origin of approximately

First recorded in 1845–50; approximate ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

Approximately is close to a particular time, measurement, or number — but it's not exact. If you plan to meet a friend at approximately 2:00, it will be okay if you are a bit early or late. Approximately has its roots in the Latin word proximus, meaning "nearly." So, approximately means "about" or "close to." If you tell someone there will be approximately seventy people at a dinner, it means you expect seventy people, though the actual number could be a little more or a little less than seventy.

Example Sentences

The driver, identified only as “a 48-year-old man from Salzburg,” was undergoing CPR from first responders when officers arrived at approximately 8:20 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Snap will cut approximately 1,000 jobs, or 16% of its workforce, and close over 300 open roles.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Within these groups, the likelihood of developing melanoma within five years reached approximately 33%.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Qantas said approximately 90% of its June-half exposure to crude oil was hedged, but that it remained largely exposed to movements in jet refining margins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Guardian asks Fly at the exact same moment I say, “You are fine, Fly. It will be okay. Just give me approximately one minute and three seconds to reanalyze my system’s data.”

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• almost
• generally
• relatively
• roughly