Synonyms of approximate

approximate 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈpräk-sə-mət 

1

as in relative

being such only when compared to something else

the movie's an approximate success, if you can overlook the overblown publicity that preceded it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• relative
• almost
• comparative
• similar
• comparable
• near
• equivalent
• equal
• alike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• complete
• perfect
• absolute
• pure
• real
• true
• outright
• unqualified
• downright
• genuine
• out-and-out

2

as in approximative

not precisely correct

police could only give us an approximate count of the number of people who attended the air show

Synonyms & Similar Words

• approximative
• inaccurate
• incorrect
• inexact
• imprecise
• erroneous
• general
• flawed
• misleading
• ballpark
• indefinite
• loose
• vague
• indeterminate
• uncertain
• undetermined
• squishy
• questionable
• indistinct
• wrong
• undefined
• mistaken
• false
• indefinable
• distorted
• faulty
• specious
• doubtful
• off
• dubious
• mushy
• unsettled
• fallacious
• inconclusive
• unconfirmed
• debatable
• unsupported
• unsubstantiated
• disputable
• indecisive
• invalidated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exact
• accurate
• precise
• certain
• correct
• sure
• positive
• dead
• dead-on
• true
• right
• valid
• sound
• unquestionable
• undeniable
• definite
• incontestable
• indubitable
• factual
• defined
• decisive
• definable
• absolute
• ultraprecise
• veracious
• clear-cut
• indisputable
• incontrovertible
• irrefutable
• confirmed
• determined
• errorless
• unqualified
• established
• supported
• validated
• substantiated
• corroborated

approximate

2 of 2

verb

ə-ˈpräk-sə-ˌmāt 

as in to reflect

to come near or nearer to in character or quality

Rob's violin performance last night didn't even approximate what he's really capable of when he's not feeling sick

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reflect
• match
• measure up (to)
• compare (with)
• approach
• stack up (against or with)
• hold a candle to
• parallel
• mirror
• come (to)
• amount (to)
• equal
• add up (to)
• duplicate
• touch (on)
• verge (on)
• border (on)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of approximate

Adjective

Wearables use temperature sensors, accelerometers, light sensors and photoplethysmography (PPG), which pulses light through the skin to measure blood flow, heart rate and approximate blood oxygen. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Between October 2025 and April 2026, the approximate length of the NBA season, New York City experienced 11 days with gusts of 40-plus miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service’s Local Climatology Data. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Verb

Others respond with something that better approximates a real argument. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Standard time most closely approximates natural light, with the Sun directly overhead at or near noon. — Beth Ann Malow, The Conversation, 21 July 2026