as an approximately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "as an approximately" is not correct in written English.
It is not a standard construction and does not convey a clear meaning. Example: "The project will take as an approximately three weeks to complete."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

Projected as an approximately $19 billion industry in 2013, defense contractors seem, in the words of one representative from a small surveillance technology company hoping to jump into the border security market, to be "bringing the battlefield to the border".

The New York Times

Buyers will have exclusive use of the internal courtyard, which is approximately 100 square meters (about 1,100 square feet), as well as an approximately 47-square-meter (500-square-foot) unfinished two-room studio and a 10-square-meter (110-square-foot) storage room.

The New York Times

F- occurs in seawater as an approximately equimolar mixture of F- and MgF+.

Geochemical Transactions

In fact, our diluted anesthetic solution worked as an approximately isobaric solution.

JA Clinical Reports

The proposed scheme firstly uses a static pre-compensator as an approximately decoupling device, in order to roughly decouple the controlled object.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes

The proposed scheme firstly adopts a static pre-compensator as an approximately decoupling device, in order to roughly decouple the controlled system.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

Salesforce.com has just announced that it is acquiring Heroku, which provides a Ruby application platform-as-a-service, for approximately $212 million in cash.

TechCrunch

Leverage is adjusted so as to maintain an approximately constant level of default risk throughout the life of the fund.

Drug Discovery Today

As n >100, an approximately normal distribution was assumed and significance levels could be calculated.

Environmental Sciences Europe

We'll have some finger food, a little dancing, maybe some networking and (sadly, as this is an approximately all ages show) a cash bar an open bar.

TechCrunch

Specimens were dissected so as to load an approximately flat cartilage surface, described further elsewhere [ 4].

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "as an approximately" in formal writing. Opt for simpler and more direct alternatives like "approximately", "about", or "roughly".

Common error

The construction "as an approximately" is usually redundant. Using "approximately" alone often suffices and improves clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as an approximately" attempts to function as an adverbial modifier, aiming to qualify the degree or extent of something. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect due to its awkward construction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "as an approximately" appears in some sources, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI marks it as incorrect and suggests that simpler, more direct alternatives like "approximately", "roughly", or "about" are preferable. These alternatives enhance clarity and maintain a professional tone, regardless of the context, and avoid redundancy. Therefore, it is best to avoid this phrase in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately

This is the core adverb, removing the redundant "as an".

about

Replaces the entire phrase with a simpler preposition indicating nearness in value.

roughly

A single adverb conveying the sense of estimation.

around

Similar to "about" but with a slightly different nuance.

in the vicinity of

A more formal way of saying "approximately".

in the neighborhood of

Another formal alternative to "approximately".

close to

Indicates a value that is not exact but near.

more or less

Suggests a slight deviation from an exact value.

approximating

Using the verb form to describe the action of estimating.

in approximate terms

A more descriptive phrase emphasizing the inexact nature of the value.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "as an approximately" in a sentence?

Replace "as an approximately" with single words like "approximately", "roughly", or "about" for conciseness and clarity.

Is "as an approximately" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "as an approximately" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use "approximately" directly.

What's the difference between "approximately" and "as an approximately"?

"Approximately" is the correct and widely accepted adverb. "As an approximately" is a less common and somewhat awkward construction that should generally be avoided.

When is it acceptable to use "as an approximately"?

While occasionally found in some texts, it's generally advisable to avoid "as an approximately" in favor of more standard alternatives such as just using "approximately".