Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

approximate

2 verb
     
ap‧prox‧i‧mate2 [intransitive, linking verb] formal
1 to be close to a particular number
approximate to
This figure approximates to a quarter of the UK's annual consumption.
2 to be similar to but not exactly the same as something
approximate to
Your story only approximates to the real facts.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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