approximately thousands

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "approximately thousands" is not correct and usable in written English.
It is unclear and contradictory, as "approximately" suggests an estimation, while "thousands" implies a specific quantity without a clear range. Example: "The event attracted approximately thousands of attendees, which is confusing."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Approximately two-thirds are arrested again within three years.

The New Yorker

South Korea's are approximately eight-times what the U.S. spends.

Harvard Business Review

Approximately two-thirds of the titles have subtitles.

Stanford University

In today's dollars that would be approximately seventy-five billion dollars.

Yale University

There are approximately twenty-five visiting scholars and ten LLM students from South Korea this year.

University of California, Berkeley

Most scholarly journals have a limit of approximately twenty-five pages for submissions.

Princeton University

With its rapid demographic and economic growth, urbanisation levels are approximately two-thirds that of Europe.

The Guardian

Now there were more than 100,000, approximately two-thirds of them affiliated with Uber.

The New York Times

Of note, approximately two-thirds of subjects (46 vs. 25) were assigned to the sleep condition.

Nature

Approximately two-thirds of the region is wooded, mostly in upland hardwoods.

Britannica

This proportion was approximately five-times the equivalent figures for other fields.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "approximately thousands" in your writing. Instead, opt for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives like "roughly a thousand" or "several thousand".

Common error

The phrase "approximately thousands" creates ambiguity because "approximately" implies an estimation, while "thousands" suggests a vague but large quantity. Replace with a specific approximated number, such as "approximately one thousand."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "approximately thousands" attempts to function as a quantifier, aiming to express an estimated quantity. However, Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically incorrect and its intended function is not effectively achieved.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "approximately thousands" is grammatically incorrect and lacks proper usage in English. Ludwig AI confirms this by highlighting its unclear and contradictory nature. As such, it's best to avoid this phrase in favor of more precise and grammatically sound alternatives, such as "roughly a thousand" or "several thousand". These alternatives more effectively convey the intended meaning of an estimated quantity while maintaining grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

roughly a thousand

Replaces "thousands" with a specific quantity while maintaining the approximate meaning.

about a thousand

Similar to 'roughly a thousand', it uses 'about' to indicate an approximation of a specific number.

around a thousand

Employs 'around' to denote an estimated quantity close to a thousand.

approximately one thousand

More formal and precise, specifying 'one thousand' instead of the vague 'thousands'.

several thousand

Uses 'several' to indicate more than two but not a large number of thousands.

a few thousand

Implies a small number within the thousands range.

thousands approximately

Reorders the words, but remains grammatically awkward.

in the thousands approximately

Indicates a range within the thousands with an added layer of approximation.

nearly thousands

Uses 'nearly' to suggest approaching the thousands range, but not quite there.

close to a thousand

Indicates that the quantity is near one thousand.

FAQs

How to correct the phrase "approximately thousands"?

The phrase "approximately thousands" is grammatically incorrect. You can correct it by using phrases like "roughly a thousand" or "about a thousand" instead, which provide more clarity.

What's a more formal way to say "approximately thousands"?

For a more formal tone, you can use phrases such as "approximately one thousand", which is more precise than the original phrase.

Is "approximately thousands" ever correct in a sentence?

No, "approximately thousands" is generally considered incorrect due to the conflicting nature of "approximately" (implying an estimate) and "thousands" (implying a somewhat large but undefined quantity). It's best to use alternatives that provide more clarity and grammatical correctness.

What are some alternatives to "approximately thousands" that still convey a sense of estimation?

Alternatives like "several thousand" or "a few thousand" can be used to indicate an estimated quantity in the thousands range without the grammatical awkwardness of "approximately thousands".