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around

around

379 1.0
About an amount or number, not exact
  • adverb
  • /əˈraʊnd/
translation icon : alrededor de
  • Inflation is pretty much back down to or around target in most countries.
  • around 50 percent
  • around 1 million
  • around 20 billion

But that same dress has to be around the same SRP.

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Examples

  • I'd probably say around nine years old.

  • First one was probably around six or seven.

  • It's probably going to be somewhere around those clouds, maybe higher.

  • The market for environmental goods and services, already estimated at around $4 billion, is growing rapidly.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Each chapter is around 5 minutes for a total of about 45 minutes of entertainment.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Over 94% reported having computers, and around 90% had Internet access at home.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Next, we consistently find around 10% of the students screened to be at risk for depression.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The Egyptian government has been floating bonds of around $250 million in the last year or so.

    Academic text (1999)
  • In Philadelphia and New York City, around 25% of misdemeanor defendants are detained pretrial.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The concert will start at around 7 PM, so make sure to arrive early.

Synonyms

about
vsaround
1.0

Not exact but near a number, amount, or time

leans more toward casual spoken use than this neutral term
just about
vsaround
915 2.7

Almost right, but not exactly

is used more broadly to mean general approximation rather than near exactness
or so
vsaround
695 1.0

You add it after a number to show the number is about that amount

can also appear before numbers and is more flexible in position
approximately
vsaround
524 3.2

Near the exact number or amount

is more informal and favours spoken use over formal writing
roughly
vsaround
373 1.6

About a number or amount that is not exact

is a bit more neutral and commonly used in speech
more or less
vsaround
301 2.1

About a number or idea, not exact but close enough

is slightly more commonly used in spoken casual contexts
give or take
vsaround
61 4.0

About an amount that may be a little more or less

is simpler and does not stress a small margin of variation
in the ballpark
vsaround
  • Informal
8 6.0

About the right amount or number

is a more direct spoken approximation for simple numeric estimates
some
vsaround
1 1.0

About a number when you do not know the exact amount

is more often used in everyday speech rather than precise contexts
approx.
vsaround
3.1

People use it to say a number or time is close to but not exact

is the ordinary spoken expression rather than the written abbreviation

Antonyms

1.0

In a completely correct way

Idioms

In many different countries on all continents

Very near in place or happening soon

In the opposite order, direction, or situation

Happens all day and all night without stopping

To make big positive changes in your life after hard times

9 9.1

Having sex with many different people without a steady partner

7 2.2

People sitting near a fire to talk and relax

There is enough for everyone to have some

6 8.1

A person who has a lot of experience from many situations

6 4.6

To be much better than someone at doing something

To use your power to make others do what you want

To make someone do what you want by charming them

The most important thing that makes life keep going, like money or love

A constant problem or responsibility that is hard to get rid of

Having extra fat around the waist

around the bend
  • Offensive
1 9.3

To be very confused or act in a strange way

To take part in a traditional May Day dance in a circle around a tall decorated pole

To sail around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, often in dangerous weather

1 9.9

People in a community spread it as gossip

To take a long, unnecessary route to reach a place or answer

To avoid saying something directly by talking a long time before answering

To talk or act in a long, roundabout way to avoid the main point

Behaving as if you are the most important person and others do not matter

Talk in a relaxed, joking way and make stories bigger to be funny

Compounds

14 1.0

A short time spent moving on foot in a place without a clear destination

Happening all day and night without stopping

go-around
  • Specialized
4 8.4

Stopping an approach or attempt to try again, for example when a plane pulls up instead of landing

A man who is kind, helpful, and liked by others

1 7.7

An indirect way to avoid a rule or problem

reach-around
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A secret unfair action to get help or advantage

1 6.0

A children's game where players hold hands, walk in a circle, and fall down while singing

1 9.9

Money given during elections to get people to vote for a candidate or pay small local costs

ring-around-a-rosy
  • Baby Talk
8.0

A children's game where players hold hands in a circle, sing, and fall down

Negative ideas that lead people to treat those with mental health problems unfairly

How Approximate

roughly
373 1.6
around
379 1.0
almost
1.0
exactly
1.0

Surface Forms

around positive

Morphology

around = round (semi-transparent) = a + round

The numeric/approximate use is a metaphorical extension from spatial 'around' to 'approximately', so the relation is understandable but not strictly literal.

Etymology

Around comes from a- 'on' and round 'circle', and you can imagine numbers being made 'round' or rounded off. So around is used to mean 'about' or 'approximately'.