approximately

USAGE SUMMARY

'approximately' is a word that is used in written English and can be used to denote estimation or a ballpark figure.
For example, "There are approximately 2,000 people in the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Members of a well-known London football dynasty that also numbers Les, Dennis, Bradley and Clive among its members, the pair will conduct the draw at approximately 2pm, with five different third-round matches either ongoing or still to begin.

The Guardian - Sport

Youth unemployment rates in Europe are especially rising fast and are over 30% in Italy, Portugal and Spain – approximately double US rates.

The Guardian - Opinion

He spent the next 17 hours there – approximately, as it was a windowless room and the lights were kept on overhead – while police attempted an interrogation he described as a fishing expedition.

The Guardian

Women in prison often don't have access to sanitary products at all, and the high cost of a product that half the population needs multiple times a day, every month for approximately 30 years, is simply, well, bullshit.

The Guardian - Opinion

There are approximately 1,250 tributaries that service the main river, 17 of which are more than 1,000 miles long.

The Guardian

In July four people died when the boat they were traveling on capsized while it was being escorted to Christmas Island by Navy boats HMAS Albany and HMAS Warramunga approximately 130 kilometres off the coast.

The Guardian

New data shows that in North America alone, women currently control approximately $18 trillion in wealth, and if they gave just 1.7% of that amount, it would add up to $230 billion in philanthropic dollars.

The Guardian

In a 2011 magazine column, she wrote: I am yet to hear scientific evidence to satisfy me that if the very, very small amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (approximately 0.38%) was increased, it could lead to significant global warming.

The Guardian

In the Northern Territory, Indigenous women make up approximately 73% of all domestic violence victims, and more than 80% of all incidents involve alcohol.

The Guardian

Even after increasing it by a third for 2013 Derbyshire's player budget of £1m equated to approximately 55% of the ECB's salary cap.

The Guardian - Sport

In 2001, a sim card cost approximately $100 and local calls cost 33 cents per minute.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing technical or scientific content, always follow "approximately" with a unit of measure to provide more clarity for your readers. For instance, "approximately 10 cm" is clearer than "approximately 10."

Common error

While "approximately" is useful for estimations, overuse can make your writing sound vague. Use it judiciously and vary your language with alternatives like "around", "nearly", or "roughly" to keep your content engaging and precise.

Linguistic Context

The primary function of "approximately" is to act as an adverb of quantity. It modifies a number or measurement to indicate it is an estimate rather than an exact figure. Ludwig and the examples provided confirm its role in expressing non-exact quantities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

31%

Science

31%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "approximately" functions as an adverb used to indicate that a quantity or value is an estimate rather than an exact figure. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and widely used, particularly in News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science contexts. While highly common, it's important to vary your language and avoid overuse, opting for synonyms such as "roughly" or "nearly". It is important to follow "approximately" with a unit of measure to add clarity and precision to your writing. The adverb can convey valuable information and it is used for statements not meant to be precise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

roughly

Emphasizes a lack of precision, suggesting a calculation or statement is not exact but close.

about

Indicates an estimation around a certain point without strict accuracy.

around

Similar to "about", suggesting a value near a specific number.

nearly

Focuses on how close something is to a specific value, implying a small margin of error.

almost

Indicates that a value or condition is very close to being met, but not quite.

close to

Highlights the proximity of a value to a certain point, suggesting similarity.

in the neighborhood of

Suggests an estimation within a certain range.

in the vicinity of

Indicates an approximate location or numerical value.

more or less

Implies that a statement is generally true, with minor deviations accepted.

give or take

Acknowledges a possible error or variation in a calculation or estimate.

FAQs

How do I use "approximately" in a sentence?

Use "approximately" before a number or quantity to indicate that the figure is an estimate, not exact. For example, "There are approximately 300 students in the class."

What can I say instead of "approximately"?

You can use alternatives like "roughly", "about", or "nearly" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "approximate" instead of "approximately"?

"Approximate" is an adjective or verb, while "approximately" is an adverb. Use "approximate" to describe something that is close but not exact (e.g., "the approximate cost") and "approximately" to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., "approximately doubled").

What's the difference between "approximately" and "exactly"?

"Approximately" indicates an estimate or close value, whereas "exactly" means precise and without any deviation. They are antonyms; for example, "approximately 100 people" suggests a number near 100, while "exactly 100 people" means the count is precisely 100.