approximation
- noun
- /əˌprɒksɪˈmeɪʃən/
- It's obviously not a completely accurate recreation of Mary's coronation gown, but it's as close an approximation as I could make.
- closest approximation
- first approximation
- good approximations
It's this robotic engine that's generating close approximations to what you've done in the past.
- It's this robotic engine that's generating close approximations to what you've done in the past.
- So we're gonna do a better and better approximation until it's spot on.
- So to quite a good approximation, it's time that's curved and not space.
- I haven't make any approximation so far, right?
- So those are like approximations of that.
- So, and there are historical approximations of what I'm telling you.
Examples
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At present, test generators provide only an approximation of the ideal test-generating system.
Academic text (1993) -
A set of study questions is good, but is only a crude approximation of the real thing.
Academic text (1999) -
And I would say that independent clear thinking is, to first approximation, impossible.
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Well, a good first approximation would be the number of houses and cars in the world.
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Data was hand-coded, so the number is best understood as an approximation and not an exact figure.
Academic text (2017) -
Translating the lyrics into English will lead only to a superficial approximation of the music and culture.
Academic text (2015) -
The architect's design was an approximation of the original building, capturing its essence without being exact.
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When estimating population growth, we often rely on rough approximations rather than exact figures.
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For our science project, we created an approximation of the solar system using common household items.
Synonyms
A rough calculation of a number, amount or size
A rough calculation of how much or how many something is
A simpler value or function used to estimate a more complex one
Antonyms
How Close
Surface Forms
Morphology
approximation = approximate (transparent) = approximate + ion
A standard noun formed from the verb 'approximate' with the suffix '-ion'; the meaning 'an estimate or near version' is directly derived.
Etymology
Approximation comes from the Latin parts ad- 'to' and proximus 'nearest', and you can see the same root in proximity. So it means 'bringing something near' the real thing, which is why an approximation is a close guess or rough version, not exact.