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Added 9 October 2026

approximate

/əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ verb

Latin root: approximātus Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about approximate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Be close or similar.
Her results approximate my own
Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time).
I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds

adjective

Not quite exact or correct.
the approximate time was 10 o'clock
Very close in resemblance.
sketched in an approximate likeness
Located close together.
with heads close together

Origin

From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The noun was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate. By surface analysis, ap- + proximate.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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