American English

How to pronounce approximately

adverbB1Common word
uhpRAHKsuhmuhtlee

/əpˈɹɑk.sə.mət̚.li/

5 syllables · Stress the second syllable.

Used before a number, amount, or time to say that it is not exact but is close to the real figure.

Practice out loud

Meanings & examples

adverb

Used before a number, amount, or time to say that it is not exact but is close to the real figure.

The repair will take approximately two hours.

Approximately 300 people attended the event.

Good to know

Approximately is more formal than about. In everyday speech, about is often more natural.

Common phrases & grammar

approximately 10 percent · approximately two hours · approximately 5 miles · approximately 100 people

approximately + number/amount/time

subject + verb + approximately + number/amount/time

Related words & forms