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

Nearly half of the world's population - approximately 4.5 billion people - currently lack adequate access to healthcare. —Bernard Marr, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Germany has been one of Ukraine's closest allies and is the largest military supplier since the war began in February 2022, sending aid now and into the future valued at approximately 28 billion euros ($29.4 billion). —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

Though not very large, standing at approximately 72 inches tall, the Hoosier cabinet filled a storage and organizational void. —Michelle Mastro, JSTOR Daily, 18 Dec. 2024

Look for fingerlings that are approximately the same size, or cut them into pieces that are about equal, to ensure even cooking. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024

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