approximation

noun

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

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

approximative

ə-ˈpräk-sə-ˌmā-tiv 

adjective

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

The approach makes the computationally affordable method known as the truncated Wigner approximation (TWA) accessible for a much wider range of real-world problems. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025

In these cases, the model may attempt to fill in the missing pieces with its best approximation, which can result in inaccurate or fabricated details. —Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025

Tuning a piano’s 88 keys, like slicing up the year into smaller segments of time, is normally an exercise in approximation. —Justin Davidson, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025

The team tweaked the LLMs to ensure compatibility with FHE, such as replacing some complex mathematical functions with their approximations for more efficient computation. —IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for approximation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

approximation

noun

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

1

: a coming near or close (as in value)

2

: something approximate

especially : an estimate or figure that is almost exact