approximation
noun
ap·prox·i·ma·tion
ə-ˌpräk-sə-ˈmā-shən 
1
: the act or process of drawing together
2
: the quality or state of being close or near
an approximation to the truth
an approximation of justice
3
: something that is approximate
especially
: a mathematical quantity that is close in value to but not the same as a desired quantity
Examples of approximation in a Sentence
This isn't an exact figure but I think it's a good approximation of what the land is worth.
The color of the paint isn't the exact same color as the vase, but it's a close approximation.
Recent Examples on the Web
This is an instrumental approximation of white noise, long before the term had been coined.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, the Columbia Daily Tribune, partnered with a pool of reporters to garner an approximation of his time, put him at about 4.4 seconds in the 40, which would be a 0.11-second uptick.
—Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
That is, Filipino workers would manually execute algorithmic tasks that were under consideration for automation, providing a rough approximation of a project’s potential before developers invested time and resources in coding the software.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024
Deliveries are the closest approximation of sales reported by Tesla but are not precisely defined in the company’s shareholder communications.
—Lora Kolodny, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
But the best is Pi Day, held on March 14 because the infinitely long decimal approximation of pi begins with 3.14.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024
Thus, the real challenge for marketers is discerning the truth in a sea of approximations.
—Anton Lipkanou, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
There was the discovery of the Fibonacci sequence, encoded in the set — as well as an approximation of π.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
Historically, the Academy has been more impressed by the approximation of a thing than the thing itself.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2024
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, the Columbia Daily Tribune, partnered with a pool of reporters to garner an approximation of his time, put him at about 4.4 seconds in the 40, which would be a 0.11-second uptick.
—Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
That is, Filipino workers would manually execute algorithmic tasks that were under consideration for automation, providing a rough approximation of a project’s potential before developers invested time and resources in coding the software.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024
Deliveries are the closest approximation of sales reported by Tesla but are not precisely defined in the company’s shareholder communications.
—Lora Kolodny, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
But the best is Pi Day, held on March 14 because the infinitely long decimal approximation of pi begins with 3.14.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024
Thus, the real challenge for marketers is discerning the truth in a sea of approximations.
—Anton Lipkanou, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
There was the discovery of the Fibonacci sequence, encoded in the set — as well as an approximation of π.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
Historically, the Academy has been more impressed by the approximation of a thing than the thing itself.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'approximation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near approximation
Cite this Entry
“Approximation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximation. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
approximation
noun
ap·prox·i·ma·tion
ə-ˌpräk-sə-ˈmā-shən
1
: a coming near or close (as in value)
2
: something approximate
especially
: an estimate or figure that is almost exact
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