ENGLISH
REFERENCE

approximately

adv. degree
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //əˈpɹɑksəmətɫi// UK //ɐpɹˈɒksɪmətlˌi// ap·prox·i·mate·ly General-service

adv. close to a particular number or amount, but not exactly. You use this when you want to give a rough estimate rather than a perfect count.

adv. used to show that a value or amount is nearly but not completely accurate. Often used in technical or academic contexts to indicate an estimation.


SIMPLE

The journey takes approximately two hours.

CONTEXTUAL

The repair work will cost approximately five hundred dollars depending on the price of the parts.

COMPLEX

While the exact figure remains confidential, the company confirmed that approximately sixty percent of its workforce now operates remotely on a permanent basis.

Synonyms
Origin

From approximate + -ly.

Usage

Typically placed immediately before the numerical value or quantity it modifies.

Pitfall

The approximately cost is ten dollarsThe approximate cost is ten dollarsLearners often use the adverb 'approximately' where the adjective 'approximate' is required to modify a noun.

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