total approximately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "total approximately" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used when providing an estimate or rough calculation of a total amount, but the combination of "total" and "approximately" is redundant. Example: "The total approximately comes to $500, but it may vary slightly."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They are in three two-story buildings, which total approximately 30,000 square feet.

The New York Times

In total, approximately 12,000 Toad vehicles with the tracking code 1656OW00 were produced for U.S. distribution and recalled.

The New York Times

The official government figures for honor killings in Pakistan total approximately a thousand a year, but unofficial estimates are higher, around three to four thousand.

The New Yorker

The Old English Pub Company warned that full-year profits will total approximately £7 million; analysts had been looking for something closer to £9 million.

The Guardian - Business

The claimed losses from the instruments issued in 2006 and 2007 total approximately $22.5 billion.

The New York Times

Intiman's current debts now total approximately $270,000, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday, citing local Seattle media reports.

The New York Times

A league official said the salary cap would total approximately $35.5 million -- meaning a team's aggregate annual salaries for their 2000-1 players under contract must add up to that number or less.

The New York Times - Sports

The two parcels of undeveloped land total approximately 22 acres.

TechCrunch

In total, approximately $317 billion is available for distribution.

Forbes

In total, approximately 4.6 million iPhone owners have downloaded and installed the app to date.

TechCrunch

In 2011, Kela had in total approximately 1,320 service providers of physiotherapy.

Health Economics Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "estimated total" or "roughly totals" to avoid redundancy when describing an approximate sum.

Common error

Do not use "total approximately" because both words convey a sense of estimation. Choose one or the other for clearer writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "total approximately" functions as a modifier, attempting to quantify a sum with an element of estimation. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's considered grammatically questionable due to its redundancy.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "total approximately" is used to indicate an estimated sum, but is flagged by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect due to redundancy. While frequently found in various contexts like Science, News & Media, and Wiki, alternatives such as "estimated total" or phrases using "roughly" are recommended for better clarity and grammatical correctness. When writing, choose either "total" or "approximately" to avoid this common error.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

approximately totals

Reverses the word order, but retains the core meaning of estimation.

roughly totals

Uses 'roughly' as a synonym for 'approximately'.

estimated total

Replaces the verb 'total' with the noun 'total' and 'approximately' with 'estimated'.

about totals

Uses 'about' as a less formal synonym for 'approximately'.

in total, about

Adds "in total" for emphasis.

aggregate approximately

Substitutes "total" with "aggregate", maintaining the approximate quantification.

sums to approximately

Uses 'sums' instead of 'totals', offering a slightly different verb choice.

comes to approximately

Rephrases to focus on the resulting amount, keeping the approximate nature.

is estimated to be

Shifts the focus to estimation, implying the total.

approximates to

Inverts the structure to emphasize the approximation affecting the total.

FAQs

Is "total approximately" grammatically correct?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "total approximately" is considered "incorrect" in standard written English because it is redundant. It's better to use either "total" or "approximately".

What can I say instead of "total approximately"?

You can use alternatives such as "estimated total", "roughly totals", or "approximately totals" to convey a similar meaning without redundancy.

Which is correct, "total approximately" or "estimated total"?

"Estimated total" is generally considered more grammatically sound than "total approximately" because the latter is redundant. "Estimated total" clearly indicates that the amount is an estimation.

How do I use "approximately" correctly in a sentence?

Use "approximately" before a number to indicate that it is an estimate. For example: "Approximately 1000 people attended the event." You can also use alternative phrases like "about", "around", or "roughly" to mean the same thing.