roughly equal to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "roughly equal to" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe approximately equal amounts of something, such as, "The amount of sugar I added to the recipe was roughly equal to the amount of milk."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

So suppose people bid Bi roughly equal to Yi.

Yale University

So people are bidding roughly equal to Yi.

Yale University

The transitional Reynolds number was roughly equal to 300.

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

He gestured to indicate dimensions roughly equal to an elephant.

The New York Times

That is roughly equal to a normal month's growth.

The Guardian - Opinion

That amount is roughly equal to Japan's annual carbon emissions.

Nature

Benchmarking with multi-core CPUs shows speedup roughly equal to the number of physical cores.

Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing

That's roughly equal to the number of stars in 1,500 Milky Way galaxies, he noted.

Stanford University

Twenty minutes of moderate activity is roughly equal to 10 minutes of vigorous activity.

Harvard University

The filaments formed had a diameter roughly equal to the palladium particle size.

Carbon

The sum was roughly equal to how much Trump's campaign paid him as manager.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing quantities using "roughly equal to", ensure the context clearly indicates the acceptable margin of error. For example, "The budget for marketing was roughly equal to that of sales, with a difference of less than 5%."

Common error

Avoid using "roughly equal to" when a more precise comparison is possible. Saying "The temperature was roughly equal to 25 degrees" is less effective than stating "The temperature was 24.8 degrees" if that level of precision is available.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "roughly equal to" functions as a comparative adjective phrase. It modifies a noun by indicating that it has an approximate value or quantity similar to another, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Academia

30%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "roughly equal to" is a versatile comparative used to indicate that two quantities are approximately the same. It is grammatically sound and widely accepted, as validated by Ludwig AI. Its prevalence across varied sources like news outlets, academic papers, and scientific journals—as well as Ludwig's examples—underscores its widespread applicability.

When using "roughly equal to", be mindful of the context and the desired level of precision. While it's acceptable in formal writing, consider more precise language when the situation demands it. Be sure to provide enough contextual information or specify the acceptable margin of error, especially when comparing values in scientific or business contexts.

For situations where "roughly equal to" might not be the best fit, consider alternatives such as "approximately equivalent to" or "in the neighborhood of", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately equivalent to

Emphasizes mathematical or functional equivalence with a degree of approximation.

nearly identical to

Emphasizes a very small difference between two things.

almost the same as

Highlights the proximity between two or more measures, implying small variances.

more or less equal to

Indicates that the values are nearly identical with some minor difference.

close to the same as

Indicates a high level of proximity or similarity, often suggesting interchangeability.

in the neighborhood of

Suggests a value that falls within a certain range around a given number.

just about the same as

Implies near identity, often in a more casual tone.

not far from equal to

Highlights the similarity, but indicates a small difference.

of comparable magnitude to

Highlights the similarity in size or importance between two things.

virtually identical to

Stresses the high degree of similarity and equivalence, and underlines the practical equivalence.

FAQs

How can I use "roughly equal to" in a sentence?

You can use "roughly equal to" to show that two values or quantities are similar but not exactly the same. For example, "The cost of the repair was "roughly equal to" the value of the car".

What are some alternatives to using "roughly equal to"?

Alternatives to "roughly equal to" include "approximately equivalent to", "in the neighborhood of", or "more or less equal to", depending on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is it appropriate to use "roughly equal to" in formal writing?

Yes, "roughly equal to" is appropriate in formal writing when you need to convey that two values are similar but not precisely the same. However, ensure that the level of approximation is acceptable for the context. Consider alternatives like "approximately equivalent to" for a slightly more formal tone.

What's the difference between "roughly equal to" and "exactly equal to"?

"Roughly equal to" indicates an approximation, meaning the values are close but not identical. "Exactly equal to" means the values are precisely the same. Use "roughly equal to" when precision is not required or not possible, and "exactly equal to" when the values are identical.