approximate
verb
- to make an estimate; to approach accuracy
- to be close or similar, cause to come near to or approach again
adjective
- close or roughly similar
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ / /əˈpɹɑk.sə.mət/ / /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət/ / /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.meɪt/ / /əˈpɹɑk.sə.meɪt/
adj
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.
- Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
- Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
“approximate results or values”
“NASA’s Genesis spacecraft has on board an ion monitor to record the speed, density, temperature and approximate composition of the solar wind ions.”
- Drawn close together, but not united.
noun
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.
- An approximate result or quantity.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English approximaten (“to bring, put close (to)”), from approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin approximātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
- To estimate.
“I approximated the value of pi by taking 22 divided by 7.”
“As yet, we don't know what the comparable figures will be like for the current financial year which ends in March 2022, but we can have a good stab at approximating them.”
- To come near to; to approach.
“When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth.”
“The telescope approximates perfection.”
- To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.
“to approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature”