Close to an exact amount, number, or time but not completely accurate; roughly or about.
From Latin 'approximatus,' past participle of 'approximare' meaning 'to come near to,' from 'ad-' (to) plus 'proximus' (nearest). The word entered English in the 17th century through mathematical and scientific contexts, where precise measurement was important but perfect accuracy often impossible.
The word beautifully captures the human relationship with precision - we want to be accurate but acknowledge the limits of our measurement. In everyday speech, 'approximately' often signals expertise (scientists and engineers use it frequently) while 'about' sounds more casual, even though they mean essentially the same thing.
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