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
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
While still advertised explicitly as digital approximations, some of the products offered by companies like Replika, HereAfter, and Persona can be (and in some cases already are) used to simulate the dead.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 May 2024
The team then also used digital technology to create a 3-D approximation of the 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal’s face.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024
The relaxation technique is well known in the field of approximation algorithms, but it had never been tried in quantum learning.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2024
Notes: All driving distances and times are courtesy of Google Maps and are approximations.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 May 2024
The fact that eBooks can only be read by one patron at a time puts me back in an approximation of a public space.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 1 May 2024
This is an instrumental approximation of white noise, long before the term had been coined.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, the Columbia Daily Tribune, partnered with a pool of reporters to garner an approximation of his time, put him at about 4.4 seconds in the 40, which would be a 0.11-second uptick.
—Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
That is, Filipino workers would manually execute algorithmic tasks that were under consideration for automation, providing a rough approximation of a project’s potential before developers invested time and resources in coding the software.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 May 2024
The team then also used digital technology to create a 3-D approximation of the 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal’s face.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024
The relaxation technique is well known in the field of approximation algorithms, but it had never been tried in quantum learning.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2024
Notes: All driving distances and times are courtesy of Google Maps and are approximations.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 May 2024
The fact that eBooks can only be read by one patron at a time puts me back in an approximation of a public space.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 1 May 2024
This is an instrumental approximation of white noise, long before the term had been coined.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, the Columbia Daily Tribune, partnered with a pool of reporters to garner an approximation of his time, put him at about 4.4 seconds in the 40, which would be a 0.11-second uptick.
—Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
That is, Filipino workers would manually execute algorithmic tasks that were under consideration for automation, providing a rough approximation of a project’s potential before developers invested time and resources in coding the software.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'approximation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near approximation
Cite this Entry
“Approximation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximation. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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