approximately

adverb

ap·​prox·​i·​mate·​ly ə-ˈpräk-sə-mət-lē 

: in an approximate manner

an event in ancient history that can only be approximately dated

—used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation

Approximately [=around, about] 2,000 people attended the rally.

arrived at approximately 11:30 in the morning

During a lifetime, a person will take approximately 500 million breaths.

—Arthur S. Slutsky, M.D., et al.

Synonyms

• about
• around
• like
• more or less
• much
• near
• plus or minus
• roughly
• say
• some

Examples of approximately in a Sentence

it takes approximately three hours to drive to Dallas

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, journeys from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and from Dubai to Fujairah are expected to take approximately 50 minutes each. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

While approximately two-thirds of the population of Kherson have fled, many remain—including my parents, who as medical workers, refuse to abandon their community. —Iuliia Mendel, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025

That effort culminated in a weeklong trial in December where a jury valued the approximately 15,000-square-foot site at $10.78 million. —Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025

Officers were dispatched to the Lake Chaparral community at approximately 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

approximately

adverb

ap·​prox·​i·​mate·​ly

-mət-lē

: reasonably close to

approximately 5 miles

at approximately six o'clock