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Somewhat vs Approximately - What's the difference?

somewhat | approximately |

As adverbs the difference between somewhat and approximately

is that somewhat is to a limited extent or degree while approximately is imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.

As a pronoun somewhat

is (archaic) something.

As a noun somewhat

is more or less; a certain quantity or degree; a part, more or less; something.

somewhat

English

Alternative forms

* (qualifier) summat (and variants listed there)

Adverb

(-)
  • To a limited extent or degree.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}

    See also

    * slightly

    Pronoun

    (English Pronouns)
  • (archaic) Something.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.12:
    • Proceeding to the midst he stil did stand, / As if in minde he somewhat had to say […].
  • * Robert Trail
    • But this text and theme I am upon, relates to somewhat far higher and greater, than all the beholdings of his glory that ever any saint on earth received.
  • * 1851 , Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
    • Not seldom in this life, when, on the right side, fortune's favourites sail close by us, we, though all adroop before, catch somewhat of the rushing breeze, and joyfully feel our bagging sails fill out.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • More or less; a certain quantity or degree; a part, more or less; something.
  • * Grew
    • These salts have somewhat of a nitrous taste.
  • * Dryden
    • Somewhat of his good sense will suffer, in this transfusion, and much of the beauty of his thoughts will be lost.
  • A person or thing of importance; a somebody.
  • * Tennyson
    • Here come those that worship me. / They think that I am somewhat .

    Statistics

    * English degree adverbs English hedges

    approximately

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (abbreviation)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.
    • In every box of matches there are approximately 40 matchsticks.
    Per 100g of chocolate there are approximately 11.6g of saturated fat.
    ...approximately 60 beats per minute.

    Synonyms

    * around, near, nearly, almost, about, loosely, roughly, close to

    Antonyms

    * accurately, definitely, exactly, precisely

    Related terms

    * approximate

    See also

    * circa