to round off
2
3.3
- phrasal verb
- /raʊnd ɔf/
:
redondear
- This tells us that something that cost $1.00 in the base period 1982-1984 would have cost $1.34 (that is 1.338 rounded off to the nearest cent) in 1990.
Examples
-
When calculating the total cost, it is helpful to round off the prices to the nearest dollar.
-
I know, Pacquiao is technically 33, but he turns 34 on December 17th, so I'm rounding that number off.
Blog text (4) -
So let me round these off just so that you know.
-
But just to round this off, it's not that I think we should just go, oh, all is one.
-
I've rounded off the figures, of course.
-
Sam rounds his hourly rate off to $50.
Blog text (27) -
For convenience, the figures have been rounded off to the nearest tenth (0.0).
Academic text (1994) -
What it does is, every time there's a bank transaction where interest is computed you know, thousands a day, the computer ends up with these fractions of a cent, which it usually rounds off.
-
For easier budgeting, I decided to round off my expenses to the nearest whole number.
-
In the final report, we will round off all figures to simplify the data presentation.
Synonyms
25
3.0
Adjust a number to the nearest whole number for simplicity
1
3.8
Change a number to the nearest whole number
How Precise
2
3.3
8
7.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'round' (make more rounded) maps metaphorically onto making a number 'round' (without decimals), and the particle 'off' conveys a sense of completion or reduction, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer a numeric 'making round' action. However, the precise numeric operation (nearest whole number or to a zero) and the conventional use in mathematics is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Round off for numbers comes from the idea of making a value more round and easy to use. Changing 4.57 to 5 is like smoothing a sharp corner, so it means 'to make a number simpler'.