ap·prox·i·ma·tion

[uh-prok-suh-mey-shuhn]
noun
1.
a guess or estimate: Ninety-three million miles is an approximation of the distance of the earth from the sun.
2.
nearness in space, position, degree, or relation; proximity; closeness.
3.
Mathematics, Physics. a result that is not necessarily exact, but is within the limits of accuracy required for a given purpose.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English approximacioun (< Middle French) < Medieval Latin approximātiōn-, stem of approximātiō. See approximate, -ion

ap·prox·i·ma·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To approximation
00:10
Approximation is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Collins
World English Dictionary
approximation (əˌprɒksɪˈmeɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the process or result of making a rough calculation, estimate, or guess: he based his conclusion on his own approximation of the fuel consumption
2.  an imprecise or unreliable record or version: an approximation of what really happened
3.  maths an inexact number, relationship, or theory that is sufficiently accurate for a specific purpose
4.  maths
 a.  an estimate of the value of some quantity to a desired degree of accuracy
 b.  an expression in simpler terms than a given expression which approximates to it

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

approximation
1640s, "action of approximating," from L. approximare (see approximate). Meaning "result of approximating" is from 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

approximation ap·prox·i·ma·tion (ə-prŏk'sə-mā'shən)
n.
Bringing tissue edges into desired apposition for suturing.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
His culture is used to shield him from an experience, or even an approximation,
  of the reality of injustices.
But it turns out that such random graphs are a poor approximation because they
  miss two important features.
It's a closer approximation than what was done previously.
But as a first approximation, it is still a reasonable practice.
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