noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃən/
Received-Pronunciation:[əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃn̩]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, dialectal:/əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃən/of the US
Canada, dialectal:[əˌpɹɒk.sɪˈmeɪ.ʃn̩]of the US
Australian:/əˌpɹɔk.sɪˈmæɪ.ʃən/
Australian:[əˌpɹɔk.sɪˈmæɪ.ʃn̩]
New-Zealand:/əˌpɹɒk.səˈmæɪ.ʃən/
New-Zealand:[əˌpɹɔ̟k.səˈmæɪ.ʃn̩]
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:AH0 P R AA2 K S AH0 M EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act, process or result of approximating, as
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act, process or result of approximating, as:
An imprecise solution or result that is adequate for a defined purpose.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The act, process or result of approximating, as:
The act of bringing together the edges of tissue to be sutured.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: coaptation
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The act, process or result of approximating, as:
The act of producing a near-simulation of the pronunciation of a foreign language for a loanword therefrom, or any given pronunciation resulting from that act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
For some loanwords borrowed from French into English, the standard English pronunciation is an approximation of the French, as with denoument.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
the act of bringing near or bringing together especially the cut edges of tissue
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bringing close together
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: joining, connection, connexion
6
noun
Meaning 6
the quality of coming near to identity (especially close in quantity)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: similarity
7
noun
Meaning 7
an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth
newspapers gave only an approximation of the actual events
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: version
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin proximō Latin approximō Latin approximātusder. Middle English approximat English approximate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English approximation From approximate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
մոտարկում
(motarkum)
— act of approximating
Bulgarian:
приближение
(približenie)
— act of approximating
Danish:
tilnærmelse
— act of approximating
Dutch:
benaderen
— act of approximating
Dutch:
schatten
— act of approximating
Finnish:
lähestyminen
— act of approximating
Finnish:
arvioiminen
— act of approximating
Finnish:
approksimointi
— act of approximating
French:
rapprochement
— act of approximating
Galician:
aproximación
— act of approximating
German:
Approximieren
— act of approximating
Greek:
προσέγγιση
(proséngisi)
— act of approximating
Hebrew:
קֵרוּב
(qerúv)
— act of approximating
Hungarian:
közeledés
— act of approximating
Hungarian:
közelítés
— act of approximating
Hungarian:
megközelítés
— act of approximating
Hungarian:
harmonizáció
— act of approximating
Icelandic:
nálgun
— act of approximating
Indonesian:
aproksimasi
— act of approximating
Indonesian:
penghampiran
— act of approximating
Indonesian:
pendekatan
— act of approximating
Italian:
approssimazione
— act of approximating
Kazakh:
жуықтау
(juyqtau)
— act of approximating
Malay:
penganggaran
— act of approximating
Malay:
penghampiran
— act of approximating
Malayalam:
ഏകദേശം
(ēkadēśaṁ)
— act of approximating
Māori:
whakaāwhiwhiwhitanga
— act of approximating
Norwegian Bokmål:
tilnærmelse
— act of approximating
Norwegian Bokmål:
tilnærming
— act of approximating
Norwegian Nynorsk:
tilnærming
— act of approximating
Polish:
aproksymacja
— act of approximating
Portuguese:
aproximação
— act of approximating
Romanian:
aproximare
— act of approximating
Romanian:
aproximație
— act of approximating
Russian:
приближе́ние
(približénije)
— act of approximating
