approximate

English Online Dictionary. What means approximate‎? What does approximate mean?

English

Alternative forms

• approx. (abbreviation, also for adverb approximately)

Etymology 1

From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The nouns was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈpɹɑk.sə.mət/, /əˈpɹɑk.sɪ.mət/

Adjective

approximate (comparative more approximate, superlative most approximate)

1. Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
2. Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.

   Near-synonym: crude

3. (botany) Drawn close together, but not united.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• close

Antonyms

• exact, precise

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

approximate (plural approximates)

1. (rare) An approximate result or quantity.

Etymology 2

From Middle English approximaten (“to bring, put close (to)”), from approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten) +‎ -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin approximātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.meɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈpɹɑk.sə.meɪt/

Verb

approximate (third-person singular simple present approximates, present participle approximating, simple past and past participle approximated)

1. (ambitransitive) To estimate.
2. (transitive) To come near to; to approach.
3. (transitive) To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.

Derived terms

Translations

Latin

Verb

approximāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of approximō