Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

to a first approximation

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.32 in modern English

Syllables
to a -first ap-prox-i-ma-tion
IPA
37
Scrabble Score
21
Letters
6
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Used to indicate that a statement, though not necessarily entirely accurate or without exceptions, is good enough for basic or preliminary purposes; more or less; basically.

Etymology

Originally from the scientific concept of order of approximation.

Rhymes With

re-formation ford nation chicken-and-egg situation romantic orientation norfolk rotation ball-park estimation horizontal proliferation session fixation double articulation re-capitulation aspirate mutation computerisation

Questions

What does to a first approximation mean?
Used to indicate that a statement, though not necessarily entirely accurate or without exceptions, is good enough for basic or preliminary purposes; more or less; basically.
Where does to a first approximation come from?
Originally from the scientific concept of order of approximation.

How to pronounce to a first approximation

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “to a first approximation”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “to a first approximation”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “to a first approximation” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.