1
Core quality
Close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
Example
The map shows the approximate location of the settlement.
approximate
/əˈprɒksɪmət/ · uh-PROK-sih-mutadjective
Close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
Use approximate to express this relationship precisely: close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
What approximate Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The approximate cost is five million rupees.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Researchers reconstructed the object's approximate shape.
Use approximate Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The map shows the approximate location of the settlement.
The approximate cost is five million rupees.
Researchers reconstructed the object's approximate shape.
Precision Matters
Approximate overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
approximate
vs.Means close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
quantifiable
Means able to be measured, counted, or expressed as a numerical amount.
approximate
vs.Means close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
indeterminate
Means not exactly known, established, fixed, or capable of being determined from the available information.
approximate
vs.Means close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
unequivocal
Means completely clear and leaving no room for doubt.
approximate
vs.Means close to the actual value, amount, or form but not completely exact or precise.
imprecise
Means not expressed, measured, or defined with sufficient exactness or accuracy.
Test approximate in Context
The total is close to the true amount but not exact.
1
Because several receipts were missing, the report gives only an ___ total rounded to the nearest thousand.