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

The earthquake shook at a depth of 4 miles, with its epicenter approximately 1 mile northeast of Huron. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026

The testing process is built for speed and discretion, delivering a definitive answer in approximately two minutes. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

This exclusive scent has notes of refreshing grapefruit, crisp cucumbers, flower petals, and musk and lasts for approximately two months. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026

The contract is prorated, meaning the Blue Jackets will be on the hook for approximately $500,000 for the rest of the season. —Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 6 Jan. 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