approximation (n.)

early 15c., approximacioun, "act of coming near or close," noun of action from approximate (v.). The meaning "result of approximating" is from 1650s.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to approximation

approximate (v.)

early 15c., "to bring or put close," from Late Latin approximatus, past participle of approximare "to come near to," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + proximare "come near," from proximus "nearest," superlative of prope "near" (see propinquity). Intransitive meaning "to come close" is from 1789. Related: Approximated; approximating.

Trends of approximation

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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estimation

late 14c., "action of appraising; manner of judging; opinion," from Old French estimacion "evaluation, value; calculation, planning," from Latin aestimationem (nominative aestimatio) "a valuation," from past participle stem of aestimare "to value" (see esteem (v.)). Meaning "appr

idea

late 14c., "archetype, concept of a thing in the mind of God," from Latin idea "Platonic idea, archetype," a word in philosophy, the word (Cicero writes it in Greek) and the idea taken from Greek idea "form; the look of a thing; a kind, sort, nature; mode, fashion," in logic, "a

flirtation

1754) but not his refinement of the definition: "[F]lirtation is short of coquetry, and intimates only the first hints of approximation...

quasi

word used in Latin in hypothetical comparisons, "as if, just as if, as though;" in real comparisons "just as, as;" and in approximation...

ballpark

To be in the ballpark in the figurative sense of "within an acceptable range of approximation" is first recorded 1954, originally...

guess

c. 1300, gessen "to infer from observation, perceive, find out; form an opinion, judge, decide, discern; evaluate, estimate the number, importance, etc. of," perhaps from Scandinavian (compare Middle Danish gitse, getze "to guess," Old Norse geta "guess, get"), or from or influen

reckoning

early 14c., rekening, "a narration, account," verbal noun from reckon (v.). The meaning "a settling of accounts" is from mid-14c.; that of "act of counting or computing, a calculation" is from late 14c. as is the sense of "a bill of charges" (in an inn, tavern, etc.). Compare Dut

host

"person who receives guests," especially for pay, late 13c., from Old French oste, hoste "guest, host, hostess, landlord" (12c., Modern French hôte), from Latin hospitem (nominative hospes) "guest, stranger, sojourner, visitor (hence also 'foreigner')," also "host; one bound by t

version

1580s, "a translation, that which is rendered from another language," from French version, from Medieval Latin versionem (nominative versio) "a turning, a translation," from past-participle stem of Latin vertere "to turn, turn back, be turned; convert, transform, translate; be ch

computation

c. 1400, "act, process, or method of arithmetical calculation," from Latin computationem (nominative computatio), noun of action from past participle stem of computare "to sum up, reckon, compute," from com "with, together" (see com-) + putare "to reckon," originally "to prune,"

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updated on September 24, 2022

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Dictionary entries near approximation

approval

approve

approved

approximate

approximately

approximation

appurtenance

appurtenances

appurtenant

apraxia

apricate