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

Its peak lasts 58 minutes, but the entire duration is approximately 5 hours and 39 minutes. —Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026

The average salary in Algeria is 42,800 dinars, the equivalent of approximately $330 according to the official exchange rate, and less than $235 on the informal market. —ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026

Further, approximately 50% of youth in Connecticut are placed with relatives or close family connections, compared to a national average of about 35%, DCF said. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026

Fox News reported that approximately 40 missiles had landed in Israel. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 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