different between relatively vs approximately

English

Etymology

relative +? -ly

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???l.?.t?v.li/
  • (US, Canada) IPA^(key): (enunciated) [???l.?.t??v.li], (flapped) [???l.?.??v.li]

Adverb

relatively (not comparable)

1. Proportionally, in relation to some larger scale thing.

   He measured his success relatively, that is, competitively.
2. (sometimes proscribed) Somewhat.

   He was relatively successful.

Usage notes

The word literally means "compared with", but some now use relatively to mean "moderately" or "somewhat" (perhaps in the sense of "compared to the average/expectation"), which is sometimes proscribed.

Translations

Notes

English

Alternative forms

• approx. (abbreviation, also for adjective approximate)

Etymology

approximate +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??p??k.s?.m?t.li/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p??k.s?.m?t.li/
• Hyphenation: ap?prox?i?mate?ly

Adverb

approximately (not comparable)

1. Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.

   Synonyms: around, near, nearly; see also Thesaurus:approximately

   Antonyms: accurately, definitely, exactly, precisely

Related terms

• approximate

Translations

See also

• circa