English Explanatory Dictionary

approximate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
  2. Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
  3. Drawn close together, but not united.
noun
  1. An approximate result or quantity.
verb
  1. To estimate.
  2. To come near to; to approach.
  3. To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.

Pronunciation

/əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ /əˈpɹɑk.sə.mət/ /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət/ en-us-approximate-adj.ogg /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.meɪt/ /əˈpɹɑk.sə.meɪt/ en-us-approximate-verb.ogg

Word forms

approximate more approximate most approximate approx. approximates approximating approximated

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin proximō Latin approximō Latin approximātusder. Middle English approximat English approximate From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The noun was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate. By surface analysis, ap- + proximate.

Synonyms

close crude

Antonyms

exact precise

Derived words

approximately approximateness approximation approximative approximeeting approximable overapproximate reapproximate underapproximate
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