approximate

UK: adjective: /əˈprɒksɪmət/, verb: /əˈprɒksɪmeɪt/

US: /adj. əˈprɑksəmɪt; v. -ˌmeɪt/

US: (adj. ə prok′sə mit; v. ə prok′sə māt′)

Inflections of 'approximate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

approximates

v 3rd person singular

approximating

v pres p

approximated

v past

approximated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ap•prox•i•mate /adj. əˈprɑksəmɪt; v. -ˌmeɪt/   adj., v., -mat•ed, -mat•ing. 
adj. 

1. nearly exact;
   not perfectly accurate:
   The approximate time was 10 o'clock.

v. 

2. to approach closely to;
   to come close (to): [~ + object]
   He approximated the ideal of a perfect leader.
   [~ + to + object]
   His notions didn't approximate to reality.
3. [~ + object (+ at + object)] to estimate:
   She approximated the distance at a mile.

ap•prox•i•mate•ly, adv. See -prox-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ap•prox•i•mate  (adj. ə prok′sə mit;v. ə prok′sə māt′), adj., v., -mat•ed, -mat•ing. 
adj. 

1. near or approaching a certain state, condition, goal, or standard.
2. nearly exact;
   not perfectly accurate or correct:
   The approximate time was 10 o'clock.
3. near;
   close together.
4. very similar;
   nearly identical.

v.t. 

5. to come near to;
   approach closely to:
   to approximate an ideal.
6. to estimate:
   We approximated the distance at three miles.
7. to simulate;
   imitate closely:
   The motions of the stars can be approximated in a planetarium.
8. to bring near.

v.i. 

9. to come near in position, character, amount, etc.

• Late Latin approximātus drawn near to, approached (past participle of approximāre). See ap-¹, proximate
• late Middle English 1400–50

ap•prox′i•mate•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

approximate adjective / əˈprɒksɪmɪt/

1. almost accurate or exact
2. inexact; rough; loose
3. much alike; almost the same
4. near; close together

verb / əˈprɒksɪˌmeɪt/

1. (usually followed by to) to come or bring near or close; be almost the same (as)
2. to find an expression for (some quantity) accurate to a specified degree
   See accurate4

Etymology: 15th Century: from Late Latin approximāre, from Latin proximus nearest, from prope near