Approximately and Roughly

Approximately

Approximately adverb - Close to but not exactly.
Usage example: it takes approximately three hours to drive to Dallas

Roughly is a synonym for approximately in almost topic. In some cases you can use "Roughly" instead the word "Approximately" as an adverb or a preposition or a conjunction, when it comes to topics like quantity, nearly, near. popular alternative

Roughly

Roughly adverb - Close to but not exactly.
Usage example: roughly 80% of the country's population is of that faith

Approximately is a synonym for roughly in approximation topic. You can use "Approximately" instead the word "Roughly" as an adverb or a preposition or a conjunction, if it concerns topics such as quantity, almost, about, near. popular alternative

Nearby Words: rough, roughage

Both words in one sentence

  • Film / Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Extremely Short Timespan: Compared to the books, which takes place during the span of approximately a year, the movie condenses its events to roughly a month or so.
  • Massive Numbered Siblings Contrast with Diva'ratrika, who's roughly the same age and known to have only six (surviving) children in approximately 1,000 years.
  • Literature / World War Z After the End: The framing interviews take place approximately 20 years after the Zombie Apocalypse began, roughly 10 years after humanity retakes the planet.
Cite this Source
Roughly and Approximately. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/approximately/roughly
Approximately & Roughly. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/approximately/roughly>.
Roughly or Approximately. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/approximately/roughly.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "approximately" and "roughly" have occurred on timeline