The difference between Approximate and Exact

When used as verbs, approximate means to estimate, whereas exact means to demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way.

When used as adjectives, approximate means approaching, whereas exact means precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth.


Exact is also adverb with the meaning: exactly.

check bellow for the other definitions of Approximate and Exact

  1. Approximate as an adjective:

    Approaching; proximate; nearly resembling.

  2. Approximate as an adjective:

    Nearing correctness; nearly exact; not perfectly accurate.

    Examples:

    "approximate results or values"

    "NASA's Genesis spacecraft has on board an ion monitor to record the speed, density, temperature and approximate composition of the solar wind ions."

  1. Approximate as a verb (ambitransitive):

    To estimate.

    Examples:

    "I approximated the value of [[pi]] by taking 22 divided by 7."

  2. Approximate as a verb (transitive):

    To come near to; to approach.

  3. Approximate as a verb (transitive):

    To carry or advance near; to cause to approach.

  1. Exact as an adjective:

    Precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth; perfectly conforming; neither exceeding nor falling short in any respect.

    Examples:

    "The clock keeps exact time."

    "He paid the exact debt."

    "an exact copy of a letter"

    "'exact accounts"

  2. Exact as an adjective:

    Habitually careful to agree with a standard, a rule, or a promise; accurate; methodical; punctual.

    Examples:

    "a man exact in observing an appointment"

    "In my doings I was exact."

  3. Exact as an adjective:

    Precisely or definitely conceived or stated; strict.

  4. Exact as an adjective (algebra, of a [[sequence]] of [[group]]s connected by [[homomorphism]]s):

    Such that the kernel of one homomorphism is the image of the preceding one.

  1. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way.

    Examples:

    "to exact tribute, fees, or obedience from someone."

  2. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To make desirable or necessary.

  3. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To forcibly obtain or produce.

    Examples:

    "to exact revenge on someone"

  1. Exact as an adverb:

    exactly

    Examples:

    "She's wearing the exact same sweater as I am!"