approximation

noun

ap·prox·i·ma·tion | \ ə-ˌpräk-sə-ˈmā-shən

Definition of approximation

1 : the act or process of drawing together

2 : the quality or state of being close or near an approximation to the truth an approximation of justice

3 : something that is approximate especially : a mathematical quantity that is close in value to but not the same as a desired quantity

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Examples of approximation in a Sentence

This isn't an exact figure but I think it's a good approximation of what the land is worth. The color of the paint isn't the exact same color as the vase, but it's a close approximation.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the '90s, some electric guitar manufacturers came at the problem from the other side and added Piezos to their electrics to try and offer an approximation of an acoustic sound. — Henry Robertson, Popular Mechanics, "Fender's 'Acoustasonic' Is a True Acoustic-Electric Hybrid Guitar," 22 Jan. 2019 Heisenberg was forced to make various approximations and assumptions to make any progress with his thesis problem. — Lee Phillips, Ars Technica, "Turbulence, the oldest unsolved problem in physics," 10 Oct. 2018 Cost approximations, such as those used by Medicare to value a physician’s time, are a starting point for many hospitals. — Melanie Evans, WSJ, "What Does Knee Surgery Cost? Few Know, and That’s a Problem," 21 Aug. 2018 Assuming most of your guests will be drinking, having a realistic approximation prevents you from spending too much on alcohol. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Throw a Laid-Back Holiday Party at Home, from the Team at A Summer Day Cafe," 6 Dec. 2018 Carolina might be the NFL’s closest approximation to a throwback. — Will Graves, The Seattle Times, "Surging Newton, Panthers face red-hot Steelers," 7 Nov. 2018 By another measure, 2007 might be the closest approximation of what’s happening in 2018. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "Get Ready for a Wild National League Finish," 1 Aug. 2018 The camera didn't capture any definitive images, but the amateur sleuths had something to work with: a rough approximation of what time of day the public defilement occurred. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, "A corporate executive led a secret double life — as Australia’s ‘poo jogger’," 7 June 2018 Make a rough approximation of the mass of the spacecraft and the rocket equation to estimate the total mass of fuel in the rocket along with the exhaust speed. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "How Fast Do Spacecraft Travel in The Expanse?," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'approximation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.