approximately on time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximately on time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is close to being punctual but not exactly so, often in contexts like transportation or scheduling. Example: "The train arrived approximately on time, just a few minutes late."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It's not the once-a-month book club or the periodic concert series, things when you know you have to be approximately on time or miss out.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

When analyzing large numbers (50 - 200) of genes and samples (50 - 100), the cost of our assay is approximately one-half and hands-on time approximately one-third that of low-throughput PCR/primer extension (SNaPshot© -based aSNaPshot© -based

BMC Genomics

A separate study using levodopa/benserazide concurred with this finding, with tolcapone-treated patients displaying approximately 1 hour of extra "on" time versus placebo (Limousin et al 1995).

Clinical interventions in aging

Ferrick claims that her songs have been streamed "approximately one million times" on the service without a license.

Vice

On a closer look, these symmetries are only local, that is they hold approximately on bounded time and frequency intervals.

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience

Concentrated FM and Magnetic bead-FM had the same number of steps in the procedure, and had approximately the same hands-on time and total time.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The green circles on the cumulative deviation line are centered approximately on the times of the following events.

Princeton University

CTM-MTB is performed in three steps comprising specimen processing, preparation of PCR mixes and real-time PCR adding up to a hands-on time of approximately 40 min for 30 specimens in our laboratory.

BMC Infectious Diseases

In total 14,805 cases and approximately ten controls matched on time, country of birth, sex and year of birth per case (147,709) were identified.

BMC Cancer

Using pre-aliquoted reagents can reduce the hands on time to approximately 20 minutes.

Nature

At 60 miles per hour, a 100ms turn on time is approximately 9 feet.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing schedules or deadlines, use "approximately on time" to indicate a minor deviation without implying a significant delay or inaccuracy.

Common error

Avoid using "approximately on time" when greater precision is warranted or expected. If the situation demands exactness, use terms like "exactly on time" or specify the actual time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximately on time" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, indicating the degree to which an event or action adheres to a schedule. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "approximately on time" is a grammatically correct expression used to indicate that an event or action occurred close to a scheduled time, without strict adherence, according to Ludwig AI. While relatively rare, its usage spans across multiple contexts, including news, science, and academia. It serves the purpose of conveying a degree of punctuality without absolute precision. Consider related phrases such as "roughly on schedule" or "nearly punctual" depending on the specific meaning you intend to express.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

roughly on schedule

Emphasizes adherence to a planned schedule rather than strict punctuality.

nearly punctual

Focuses specifically on being close to the expected time.

almost on time

Highlights that the event or arrival was very close to being on schedule.

more or less on time

Implies a slight degree of flexibility or tolerance for minor deviations.

just about on time

Indicates a close margin to being perfectly on schedule.

in the neighborhood of on time

Uses a colloquial expression to suggest approximation.

close to being on time

Highlights the proximity to being perfectly punctual.

virtually on time

Emphasizes that the deviation is so minimal it's practically on time.

practically on time

Similar to "virtually on time", indicating very little deviation.

in the vicinity of on time

Similar to 'in the neighborhood of on time', suggesting approximation.

FAQs

How can I use "approximately on time" in a sentence?

You can use "approximately on time" to indicate that something is close to being punctual but not exactly so. For example: "The meeting started "approximately on time", just a few minutes late."

What phrases are similar to "approximately on time"?

Alternatives to "approximately on time" include "roughly on schedule", "nearly punctual", or "almost on time".

Is it better to say "approximately on time" or "exactly on time"?

The choice depends on the situation. Use "exactly on time" when something adheres precisely to the schedule. Use "approximately on time" when there is a minor deviation.

What is the difference between "approximately on time" and "on time"?

"On time" means perfectly punctual. "Approximately on time" suggests something was close to the scheduled time but not perfectly so. In other words, the arrival, delivery, etc., deviated from the schedule, but only insignificantly.