more approximate to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "more approximate to" is not standard in written English; "more approximate than" is preferred.
You can use it when comparing the closeness of two things, but it is better to use "more approximate than" for clarity. Example: "The results of the experiment were more approximate than the previous findings."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

His grasp of caste does not inspire confidence: Brahmins, he writes, make up less than a fifth of the population, when the figure is more approximate to 5 percent; he uses the word veda (properly applied to ancient Hindu texts) in place of varna (the Hindu caste classification).

The New York Times - Books

We can observe that filtered jitter ratio is more approximate to the ratio in the Figure 6.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The data-information-knowledge-data cycle enables the customer model more and more approximate to its real person; and   5.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Firstly, in calculating project activity duration, it adopts response management theory and introduces double-buffering zone, so that the calculated project activity duration is more approximate to the realistic one.

Systems Engineering Procedia

When compared with (c), the results of our proposal of long-term filter banks (d) and (e) show significant temporal coherence in each frequency bin, which is more approximate to the clean music spectrogram in (a).

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

The descent of the larynx to a location more approximate to the opening of the esophagus places human ancestors at a greater risk for aspiration.

Cough

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The Q-Bézier curve and surface inherit the most properties of Bézier curve and surface and can be more approximated to the control polygon.

Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics

The first three cell images are from Dataset 1, and the other images are from Dataset 2. We can find that the foreground regions (black) of the clustering results in the IF1F2 color space are more approximated to the real cell regions than the RGB and HSV color spaces.

Robotics and Biomimetics

We are planning to try more approximate methods to overcome this limitation in the future.

Bioinformatics

Even though these models are more complex than purely discrete ones, they provide a more approximate picture to transcriptional regulation, making it easier, for example, to relate and compare the models with real transcriptome data.

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

If the number of entries is still greater than the size of the ABM, the relayer keeps entries which have longer remaining lifetime and are from more approximate distance to the source so that the latest and closest information (i.e., more useful) can be forwarded.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing approximations, consider using "more accurate than" or "better approximation of" for clearer communication. For example, "This method provides a better approximation of the true value than the previous one."

Common error

Avoid using "approximate" directly after "more" in the construction "more approximate to". Instead, use "closer to" or restructure the sentence to correctly employ "approximate" as a verb or in a noun phrase such as "better approximation of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "more approximate to" functions as a comparative, attempting to indicate a closer degree of approximation. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, this phrasing is not standard English. It is typically used in contexts where one value or result is intended to be closer to a target or ideal than another.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

71%

News & Media

29%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "more approximate to" aims to express a closer degree of approximation or similarity, it is not considered standard English. As Ludwig AI notes, alternatives like "closer to" or "more similar to" are generally preferred for improved clarity and grammatical accuracy. Although the phrase appears in both scientific and news contexts, its usage frequency is uncommon, and its non-standard nature may detract from its effectiveness in formal writing. When aiming for precision and clarity, opting for grammatically correct alternatives is highly recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

closer to

This alternative provides a more direct and grammatically standard way of expressing proximity or resemblance.

more similar to

This phrase emphasizes the similarity aspect, focusing on shared characteristics rather than approximation.

more like

This is a simpler and more informal way of indicating resemblance or similarity.

more analogous to

This alternative is suitable when highlighting a direct analogy or parallel between two things.

more in line with

This phrase indicates alignment or agreement, suggesting something is becoming more consistent with a standard or expectation.

a better approximation of

This emphasizes that something is not yet exact, but closer than some past state.

more nearly resembles

Offers a formal way to say that something is close to another.

more comparable to

This suggests that something can be better compared with something else.

approximates more closely

This rearranges the wording to be grammatically correct, using the adjective "approximate" correctly.

verges more towards

Suggests a leaning or tendency in one direction. This indicates a movement to a state.

FAQs

What's a more grammatically correct way to say "more approximate to"?

Instead of "more approximate to", use the phrase "closer to" or "more similar to" for better clarity and adherence to standard English grammar.

How can I use the word "approximate" correctly in a comparative sentence?

You can say "a better approximation of" or "approximates more closely". For instance, "This model is a better approximation of reality" or "This value approximates more closely the true result."

Is "more approximate than" a better alternative to "more approximate to"?

Yes, "more approximate than" is grammatically correct and can be used to compare two approximations. For example, "This estimate is more approximate than the last one."

In what context is it acceptable to use "more approximate to", if at all?

While not strictly grammatically incorrect, "more approximate to" is generally discouraged in formal writing. It's preferable to use alternatives like "closer to" or restructure the sentence for clarity.