adverb
about
Close to a stated amount or value.
The walk takes about twenty minutes from our house.
Etymology
Old English abūtan meant “around.” The spatial idea extends to quantities: an amount can lie around a stated value without matching it exactly.
More examples
- There are about fifty guests.
- It costs about ten dollars.
- She is about my height.
Forms
about
Similar words
- approximately
- More formal; specifically signals a numerical estimate.