Approximate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Adjective

• (RP) IPA: /əˈprɒk.sɪ.mət/, SAMPA: /@"prQk.sI.m@t/
• (US) IPA: /ʌˈpɹɑks.ə.mɪt/, SAMPA: /V"[email protected]/

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Verb

• (RP) IPA: /əˈprɒk.sɪm.eɪt/, SAMPA: /@"prQk.sIm.eIt/
• (US) IPA: /ʌˈpɹɑks.ə.maɪt/, SAMPA: /V"[email protected]/

  Audio (US)

  noicon

  (file)

Adjective

Approximate (comparative more Approximate, superlative most Approximate)

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

   Approximate results or values.

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

Verb

Approximate (third-person singular simple present Approximates, present participle approximating, simple past and past participle approximated)

1. To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.

   To approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature. --Burke.

2. To come near to; to approach.

   The telescope approximates perfection. --J. Morse.

3. To estimate.

Quotations

When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth.
— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

Derived terms

approximately approximation approximative

Thesaurus

accost; advance; advancing; ape; appear like; approach; approaching; appropinquate; approximating; approximative; arm-in-arm; assimilate; attracted to; be around; be like; be near; be redolent of; bear down on; bear down upon; bear resemblance; bear up; begin to; bring near; bring to mind; burning; call; call to mind; call up; cheek-by-jowl; close; close in; close with; come; come close; come closer; come forward; come near; come on; come up; coming; comparable; compare with; confront; connaturalize; copy; correspond; counterfeit; draw near; draw nigh; drawn to; encounter; estimated; evoke; favor; follow; forthcoming; gain upon; get warm; hand-in-hand; homologous; hot; imitate; imminent; imprecise; inaccurate; incorrect; inexact; intimate; judge; lax; like; look like; loose; match; mimic; mirror; much at one; much the same; narrow the gap; near; near the mark; nearing; nearish; nearly reproduce; nearly the same; negligent; nigh; nighish; not tell apart; oncoming; out of line; out of plumb; out of square; out of true; parallel; partake of; place; propinque; proximal; proximate; put; quasi; reckon; relatable; relative; remind one of; resemble; rough; rude; same but different; savor of; seem like; side-by-side; sidle up to; similar; similarize; simulate; smack of; sound like; stack up with; step up; suggest; take after; to come; unfactual; unprecise; unrigorous; upcoming; verge on; vicinal; warm

Translations

Adjective

Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling

Bulgarian: приблизителен (bg) Czech: přibližný (cs) m. Finnish: arvioitu (fi), likiarvoinen (fi) French: approximant (fr) m. German: annähernd, ungefähr, zirka, circa

Greek: παραπλήσιος (el) (paraplísios) m. Portuguese: aproximar-se Spanish: aproximado (es) Welsh: bras (cy)

Near correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate;

Czech: přibližný (cs) m. Finnish: arvioitu (fi), likiarvoinen (fi), likimääräinen (fi) French: approximatif (fr) m. German: annähernd, ungefähr, zirka, circa Greek: χονδρικός (el) (chondrikós) m.

Russian: приблизительный (ru) (priblizít'elnyj), приближенный (ru) (približónnyj), примерный (ru) (primérnyj) Spanish: aproximado (es) Welsh: bras (cy)

Verb

to carry or advance near; to cause to approach

Bulgarian: приближавам се до (bg) Finnish: lähentää (fi) French: approximer (fr)

German: annähern (de) Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo),πλησιάζω (el) (plisiázo)

to come near to; to approach

Bulgarian: приближавам се до (bg) Finnish: lähentyä (fi), lähestyä (fi) French: approximer (fr)

German: annähern, annähernd erreichen Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo),πλησιάζω (el) (plisiázo)

to estimate

Finnish: arvioida (fi), approksimoida (fi), estimoida (fi)

Greek: προσεγγίζω (el) (prosengízo)

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Latin

Verb

approximāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of approximō