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

• roughly
• about
• around

Examples of approximately in a Sentence

it takes approximately three hours to drive to Dallas

Recent Examples on the Web

The approximately 1-mile East Market Streetscape extends from Brook Street to Baxter Avenue. —Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 29 July 2025

Consensus forecasts suggest earnings of approximately $0.96 per share, a decline from $1.63 in the same quarter last year, while revenue is expected to reach around $1.1 billion, representing nearly a 19% decrease year-over-year. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

What To Know The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the collapse at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time on Sunday. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025

Adults should consume approximately three servings of milk (or other low-fat dairy products) daily. —Kelly Burch, Verywell Health, 28 July 2025

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