approximately
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.
“The journey takes approximately two hours.”
“The repair work will cost approximately five hundred dollars depending on the price of the parts.”
“While the exact figure remains confidential, the company confirmed that approximately sixty percent of its workforce now operates remotely on a permanent basis.”
Typically placed immediately before the numerical value or quantity it modifies.
Learners often use the adverb 'approximately' where the adjective 'approximate' is required to modify a noun.
Usage approximately million · approximately years · approximately people
From approximate + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.