approximate budget

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximate budget" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a rough estimate of costs for a project or expense. Example: "Before we proceed with the project, we need to establish an approximate budget to ensure we stay within our financial limits."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Is there an approximate budget?

The New York Times

Time to cook up an approximate budget.

The New York Times

He presented designs, approximate budget, and key participants in the design.

Cornell University

Together with the program analysis, designers must frequently prepare an approximate budget or attempt to make their proposals based upon a budget set by the client.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Instead, the fear is that Mr. Osborne's emphasis on cuts in social spending — which aim to achieve an approximate budget surplus by 2015 and are likely to result in the loss of more than 300,000 government jobs — might tip the economy back into recession.

The New York Times

ST: $11 million is the approximate budget for this.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Second, even with randomization and approximate budget-balance allowed and dropping equal treatment, the worst-case efficiency loss of the Shapley value mechanism is within a constant factor of the minimum possible.

Games and Economic Behavior

A mechanism is said budget balanced (BB) if the receivers pay exactly the (possibly minimum) cost of the transmission, and β-approximate budget balanced (β-BB) if the total cost charged to the receivers covers the overall cost and is at most β times the optimal one, while it is efficient if it maximizes the sum of the receivers' utilities minus the total cost over all receivers' sets.

Theoretical Computer Science

Roughgarden and Sundararajan recently proposed an alternative efficiency measure, which was subsequently used to exhibit that many previously known cost sharing mechanisms approximate both budget balance and efficiency.

Theoretical Computer Science

We have allocated an approximate total budget of £600,000 to tackle domestic abuse in 2012-13, up significantly from about £450,000 in 2011-12 and significantly higher than previous years' funding pots.

The Guardian

EconLav is applied to a subsample of married couples from the 2008 wave of the SHIW to approximate the budget sets of each sample unit under both the baseline tax-benefit schedule in the year of data collection and the hypothetical schedules resulting from our in-work benefit reforms.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When presenting an "approximate budget", clearly state that it is subject to change and specify the factors that could influence its final value.

Common error

Don't treat an "approximate budget" as a fixed commitment. Continuously monitor expenses and update your projections as more information becomes available to prevent overspending.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximate budget" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "approximate" modifies the noun "budget". It serves to qualify the type of budget being discussed, indicating it is an estimate rather than a precise figure. Ludwig confirms the correct usage of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "approximate budget" is a common and grammatically sound way to refer to an estimated financial plan. Ludwig's analysis indicates its versatility across various contexts, from news and academia to personal finance. While generally acceptable, it's essential to clarify the assumptions and potential variations when presenting an "approximate budget". Alternatives such as "estimated budget" or "rough budget" offer similar meanings. However, using the term accurately and transparently ensures effective communication and avoids potential misunderstandings. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is used correctly in real English sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

estimated budget

Replaces "approximate" with "estimated", suggesting a calculation or educated guess.

rough budget

Uses "rough" instead of "approximate", implying a less precise calculation.

preliminary budget

Suggests the budget is in its early stages and subject to change.

projected budget

Implies the budget is forecasted based on available information.

anticipated budget

Indicates the budget is expected or predicted.

indicative budget

The term "indicative" implies the budget is suggestive but not definitive.

tentative budget

Highlights the budget is provisional and may be altered later.

ballpark budget

An informal term that suggests a general and not highly precise estimate.

high-level budget

Describes a budget that provides a broad overview without detailed breakdowns.

order of magnitude budget

Suggests a budget estimate that is accurate to the nearest power of ten.

FAQs

How do you use "approximate budget" in a sentence?

You can use "approximate budget" to refer to an estimated cost for a project. For instance, "The contractor provided an approximate budget for the renovation project."

What are some alternatives to saying "approximate budget"?

Alternatives include "estimated budget", "rough budget", or "preliminary budget", depending on the context and level of precision.

Is it OK to use "approximate budget" in a formal document?

Yes, "approximate budget" is acceptable in formal documents, but ensure you clarify the assumptions and potential variations. A phrase like "indicative budget" might also be suitable.

What's the difference between "approximate budget" and "exact budget"?

"Approximate budget" refers to an estimated cost, while "exact budget" implies a precise and fixed cost. The former is subject to change, while the latter should remain constant, barring unforeseen circumstances.