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

Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026

The expansion added approximately 26,000 square feet to the existing Redstone missile integration facility. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026

The earthquake's epicenter was situated approximately 12 miles southwest of Gustine and occurred at a depth of 6 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026

The men stole dozens of jewelry pieces, valued at approximately $20,000, according to the DA’s office. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 16 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