Approximate vs Approximant - What's the difference?
approximate | approximant |
Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.
Near correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.
To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.
To come near to; to approach.
To estimate.
(phonetics) a consonant sound made by slightly narrowing the vocal tract, while still allowing a smooth flow of air. Liquids and glides are approximants.
(mathematics) An approximation to the solution of a function, series, etc.
As an adjective approximate
is approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.As a verb approximate
is to carry or advance near; to cause to approach.As a noun approximant is
a consonant sound made by slightly narrowing the vocal tract, while still allowing a smooth flow of air. Liquids and glides are approximants.approximate
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- Approximate results or values.
- To help carry out its mission, NASA's Genesis spacecraft has on board an ion monitor to record the speed, density, temperature and approximate composition of the solar wind ions.
Antonyms
* exact, preciseDerived terms
() * approximately * approximation * approximativeVerb
(approximat)- To approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature. --Burke.
- The telescope approximates perfection. --J. Morse.
Quotations
When you follow two separate chains of thought, Watson, you will find some point of intersection which should approximate to the truth.
— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax