approximate

English

Alternative forms

• approx. (abbreviation, also for adverb approximately)

Etymology

From Latin approximatus, past participle of approximare (“to approach”); ad + proximare (“to come near”). See proximate.

Pronunciation

Adjective

• IPA^(key): /ə.ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/
• IPA^(key): /ə.ˈpɹɑk.sə.mət/, /ə.ˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

• IPA^(key): /ə.ˈpɹɒk.sɪ.meɪt/
• IPA^(key): /ə.ˈpɹɑk.sə.meɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

approximate (comparative more approximate, superlative most approximate)

1. Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
2. Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.

   approximate results or values

   NASA's Genesis spacecraft has on board an ion monitor to record the speed, density, temperature and approximate composition of the solar wind ions.

Synonyms

• close

Antonyms

• exact, precise

Derived terms

• approximately
• approximateness
• approximation
• approximative

 

Translations

Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling

• Bulgarian: приблизителен (bg) (priblizitelen)
• Catalan: aproximat (ca)
• Czech: přibližný m
• Danish: nær
• Dutch: benaderend (nl)
• Finnish: likimääräinen, läheinen (fi)
• French: approximant (fr) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: annähernd (de), ungefähr (de), zirka (de), circa (de)
• Greek: παραπλήσιος (el) m (paraplísios)
• Interlingue:
• Portuguese: aproximado (pt)
• Spanish: aproximado (es)
• Tagalog: madapit
• Welsh: bras (cy)

Near correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate;

• Catalan: aproximat (ca)
• Czech: přibližný m
• Dutch: ongeveer (nl), bij benadering
• Finnish: arvioitu (fi), likiarvoinen, likimääräinen
• French: approximatif (fr) m
• German: annähernd (de), ungefähr (de), zirka (de), circa (de)
• Greek: χονδρικός (el) m (chondrikós)
• Maori: āwhiwhiwhi, āwhiwhi
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: omtrentlig

  Nynorsk: omtrentleg

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: aproximado (pt)
• Russian: приблизи́тельный (ru) (priblizítelʹnyj), приближе́нный (ru) (približénnyj), приме́рный (ru) (primérnyj)
• Spanish: aproximado (es)
• Tagalog: madapit
• Vietnamese: xấp xỉ (vi), xêm xêm
• Welsh: bras (cy)

Verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To estimate.

   I approximated the value of pi by taking 22 divided by 7.

2. (transitive) To come near to; to approach.
   • (Can we date this quote by J. Morse and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The telescope approximates perfection.

3. (transitive) To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.
   • (Can we date this quote by Burke and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     to approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature

Quotations

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• (Can we date this quote?), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

  When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth.
  &mdash

Translations

to carry or advance near; to cause to approach

• Bulgarian: приближавам се до (približavam se do)
• Danish: nærme, tilnærme
• Finnish: lähentää (fi)
• French: approximer (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: annähern
• Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo), πλησιάζω (el) (plisiázo)
• Portuguese: aproximar (pt)
• Spanish: avanzar (es), acercar (es), juntar (es), estrechar (es)

to come near to; to approach

• Bulgarian: приближавам се до (približavam se do)
• Danish: nærme, tilnærme
• Finnish: lähentyä (fi), lähestyä (fi)
• French: approximer (fr)
• German: annähern, annähernd erreichen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo), πλησιάζω (el) (plisiázo)
• Maori: āwhiwhiwhi, whakatata
• Portuguese: aproximar-se
• Spanish: acercarse (es), aproximarse (es)

to estimate

• Finnish: arvioida (fi), approksimoida (fi), estimoida (fi)
• Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo)
• Hebrew: לשער (Leshaer)
• Maori: whakaawhiwhi, whakaāwhiwhiwhi
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: aproximar (pt)
• Russian: приближаться (ru) (približatʹsja), почти равняться (počti ravnjatʹsja)
• Spanish: estimar (es)

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Latin

Verb

(deprecated template usage) approximāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of approximō