# approximate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈpɹɒk.sɪ.mət/ · frequency rank #12,181

## Definitions
1. Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
2. Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
3. Drawn close together, but not united.

## 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
From Middle English approximat(e) (“close, near (to); similar; intimate”, also used as the past participle of approximaten), from Latin approximātus, the perfect passive participle of approximō (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), further from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + proximō (“to come near”). The noun was derived from the adjective through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also proximate. By surface analysis, ap- + proximate.

## Easily confused with
- **approximately** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/approximate-vs-approximately)

## Common misspellings (14)
`apporximate`, `approixmate`, `approxiamte`, `approximaet`, `approximatte`, `approximmate`, `approximtae`, `approxmiate`, `approxximate`, `apprroximate`, `apprxoimate`, `aproximate`, `aprpoximate`, `paproximate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/approximate