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 of approximately

• roughly
• about
• around

Examples of approximately in a Sentence

it takes approximately three hours to drive to Dallas

Recent Examples on the Web

At approximately noon today, the first medals of the Centennial Olympic Games will be awarded in women’s air rifle at Wolf Creek. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

The Athletic reported earlier this summer it is expected to cost approximately £50m for West Ham to sanction Summerville’s departure. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026

The Ohio Fire, which also started Saturday in Blaine County, is approximately 500 acres with 0% containment, according to Watch Duty. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 19 July 2026

Across the city’s specialized high schools, approximately 4,000 offers were made this year. — Meisha Porter, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for approximately

• proximately

Kids Definition

approximately

adverb

ap·​prox·​i·​mate·​ly

-mət-lē

: reasonably close to

approximately 5 miles

at approximately six o'clock