APPROXIMATE
Dictionary entry overview: What does approximate mean?
• APPROXIMATE (adjective)
The adjective APPROXIMATE has 3 senses:
1. not quite exact or correct
2. very close in resemblance
3. located close together
Familiarity information: APPROXIMATE used as an adjective is uncommon.
• APPROXIMATE (verb)
The verb APPROXIMATE has 2 senses:
1. be close or similar
2. judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
Familiarity information: APPROXIMATE used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• APPROXIMATE (adjective)
Meaning:
Not quite exact or correct
Synonyms:
approximate; approximative; rough
Context examples:
the approximate time was 10 o'clock / a rough guess / a ballpark estimate
Similar:
inexact (not exact)
Meaning:
Very close in resemblance
Synonyms:
approximate; near
Context examples:
sketched in an approximate likeness / a near likeness
Similar:
close (close in relevance or relationship)
Meaning:
Located close together
Synonyms:
close together; approximate
Context examples:
with heads close together / approximate leaves grow together but are not united
Similar:
close (at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other)
• APPROXIMATE (verb)
Meaning:
Be close or similar
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Synonyms:
approximate; come close
Context example:
Her results approximate my own
Hypernyms (to "approximate" is one way to...):
resemble (appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "approximate"):
approach; border on (come near or verge on, resemble, come nearer in quality, or character)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
Classified under:
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting
Synonyms:
estimate; gauge; approximate; guess; judge
Context example:
I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds
Hypernyms (to "approximate" is one way to...):
calculate; cipher; compute; cypher; figure; reckon; work out (make a mathematical calculation or computation)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "approximate"):
quantise; quantize (approximate (a signal varying continuously in amplitude) by one whose amplitude is restricted to a prescribed set of discrete values)
guesstimate (estimate based on a calculation)
truncate (approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one)
count; reckon (take account of)
make (calculate as being)
assess (estimate the value of (property) for taxation)
lowball; underestimate (make a deliberately low estimate)
give (estimate the duration or outcome of something)
place; put; set (estimate)
misgauge (gauge something incorrectly or improperly)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
