approach

AI In plain words

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

approach^¹

/əˈpɹəʊt͡ʃ/ UK
/əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -əʊtʃ

Where it comes from

From Middle English aprochen, borrowed from Old French aprochier (modern French approcher), from Late Latin appropiāre, a verb based on Latin prope (“near”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro- (a variant of *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + *-kʷe (“suffix forming distributives from interrogatives”)).

verb approaches · approaching · approached

intransitive To come or go near, in place or time; to move toward; to advance nearer; to draw nigh. She approached the door cautiously.
intransitive To play an approach shot.
ambitransitive, figuratively Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal. He approaches to the character of the ablest statesman.
intransitive, rare, transitive Of an immovable object or a number of such objects: to be positioned as to (notionally) appear to be moving towards (a place). As we drove along the driveway, the trees approaching the house seemed more eerie.
also, figuratively, transitive To move toward (someone or something) in place, time, character, or value; to draw nearer to. “Would counsel please approach the bench?” asked the judge.
transitive To bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near. "My story is not long," said the artist; "but your honour had better sit while you listen to it." So saying, he approached to the fire a three-footed stool, and took another himself, […]
transitive Used when defining limits, preceded by as: To become arbitrarily close to some value, be it a number, vector or infinity and have an effect on another value.
transitive To attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem). Mr. Moonlight Quill, mysterious, exotic, and oriental in temperament was, nevertheless, a man of decision. And it was with decision that he approached the problem of his wrecked shop.
transitive To bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, request, etc. "Why bother publishing my conversations. It has not helped you, and it is not going to help anybody else", said U. G. when I approached him with the idea of publishing excerpts from his conversations with the constant stream of people who go to visit him.
archaic, euphemistic, transitive To have sexual intercourse with (someone). None of you ſhall approche to any that is neere of kinne to him, to vncouer their nakedneſſe: I am the Lord.
Similar: approach, cohabit, common, company, copulate, couple, engage in sex, exchange flesh, have intimate relations, have marital relations, have sex, have sexual relations
transitive To take approaches to (a place); to move towards (a place) by using covered roads, trenches, or other works.

approach^²

/əˈpɹəʊt͡ʃ/ UK
/əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ/ US

Rhymes with -əʊtʃ

Where it comes from

From Middle English approche (“approach, arrival”), from approchen, aprochen (“to come or go near, approach; to adjoin, be close by; to enter (someone’s) presence; to be or become involved; to reach (a certain state); to arrive; to befall, happen to; to become similar to, resemble; to be a match for (someone)”); see etymology 1.

noun approaches

also, figuratively An act of drawing near in place or time; an advancing or coming near. Ah, what a ſigne it is of euill life, Where death's approach is ſeene ſo terrible.
An act of coming near in character or value; an approximation. The canine, judging from the figures published by M. [Édouard] Lartet, seems to be less developed than in the male chimpanzees, gorillas and orang. In which character the fossil, if it belonged to a male, makes a nearer approach to the human type; but it is one which many of the inferior monkeys als
also, figuratively An avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached; an access. Where are my lines then? my approaches? views? Where are my window-ſongs?
also, figuratively A path taken to reach the climbing area, for example, from a car park, road, etc.
figuratively A manner of making (a policy) or solving (a problem, etc.). Our proposed definitional approach to the data processing-communications dilemma evoked considerable discussion. There is uniform disagreement and confusion as to the regulatory implications of the proposed definitional terms.
archaic An opportunity of drawing near; access. Honour hath three Things in it: The Vantage Ground to doe Good: The approach to Kings and principall Persons: And the Raiſing of a Mans owne Fortunes.
also, attributive The way an aircraft comes in to land at an airport. Most small airplanes maintain a speed well in excess of 1.3 times V_(SO) on an instrument approach. An airplane with a stall speed of 50 knots (V_(SO)) has a normal approach speed of 65 knots.
also, attributive A specific procedure used for approaching and landing at an airport. We flew the RNAV/GPS A approach to runway 16.
The area before the lane in which a bowler may stand or run up before bowling the ball.
abbreviation, ellipsis Ellipsis of approach shot

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: draw near, coming, come on, advance, set about, access, near, overture, go up, go about, border on, feeler, attack, glide slope, glide path, approach shot

Translations

Every language

verb 5. (transitive, also figuratively) to move toward

Español	estar llegando/“que llega” a/hacia/para, bordear, orillar
日本語	近づく chikazuku
हिन्दी	आगमन āgman
Kiswahili	kukaribia
Português	aproximar-se de
Français	s'approcher de
Deutsch	sich nähern, sich annähern
Italiano	accostarsi a, avvicinarsi a
Русский	подходи́ть podxodítʹ, подойти́ podojtí, приближа́ться približátʹsja, приблизи́ться priblizítʹsja

verb 1. (intransitive) to come or go near, in place or time

Español	acercarse, aproximarse, avecinarse, dirigirse, apropincuarse, allegarse
한국어	다가가다 dagagada, 접근하다 jeopgeunhada
日本語	近づく chikazuku, 接近する sekkin suru, 近寄る chikayoru
中文	來臨 /来临 láilín, 接近 jiējìn, 走近 zǒujìn, 挨近 āijìn
हिन्दी	समीप आना samīp ānā
Português	aproximar-se
Français	s'approcher
Deutsch	sich nähern
Italiano	avvicinarsi, appropinquarsi
Ελληνικά	προσεγγίζω prosengízo
Română	apropia
Русский	подходи́ть podxodítʹ, подойти́ podojtí, приближа́ться približátʹsja, приблизи́ться priblizítʹsja
Tiếng Việt	lại, lại gần, đến
العربية	اِقْتَرَبَ iqtaraba
עברית	ניגש nigásh

verb 3. (ambitransitive, figuratively) to draw near

Español	bordear, orillar
한국어	다가가다 dagagada
日本語	近づく chikazuku
Português	aproximar-se
Français	tendre vers
Deutsch	sich nähern
Italiano	abbordare, approcciare
Русский	приближа́ться približátʹsja, приблизи́ться priblizítʹsja

verb 4. (''ambitransitive'') to be positioned as to appear to be moving towards

Español	dirigirse [with a or hacia or para]

verb 6. (transitive) to bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near

Español	acercar, aproximar, avecinar, apropincuar, allegar

verb to attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem)

Español	abordar, entablar, acometer

verb to bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, etc.

Español	plantear

verb (military) to take approaches to (a place); to move towards (a place) by digging trenches

Deutsch	sich nähern

noun avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached — see also access

Español	acceso
日本語	通路 tsūro
中文	通道 tōngdào, 通路 tōnglù
Português	acesso, entrada
Italiano	accesso
Русский	подъе́зд podʺjézd, по́дступ pódstup, подхо́д podxód
עברית	גִּישָׁה gishá

noun way an aircraft comes in to land at an airport

Español	aproximación
中文	進近 /进近 jìnjìn
Deutsch	Anflug
Italiano	avvicinamento
Русский	захо́д на поса́дку zaxód na posádku, захо́д zaxód

noun act of drawing near in place or time

Español	acercamiento, aproximación, llegada, cercandanza (disused)
한국어	접근 jeopgeun
日本語	アプローチ apurōchi, 接近 sekkin
中文	接近 jiējìn
हिन्दी	आना ānā
Português	aproximação
Français	approche
Deutsch	Annäherung
Italiano	approccio, avvicinamento, contatto
Ελληνικά	προσέγγιση proséngisi
Русский	приближе́ние približénije
العربية	اِقْتِرَاب iqtirāb, مُقَارَبَة muqāraba

noun manner of making (a policy) or solving (a problem, etc.)

Español	enfoque, planteamiento, talante, abordaje
한국어	접근 jeopgeun
日本語	アプローチ apurōchi
中文	方法 fāngfǎ
Português	approach, abordagem, enfoque
Français	approche
Deutsch	Ansatz
Italiano	approccio
Ελληνικά	προσέγγιση proséngisi
Română	abordare
Русский	подхо́д podxód
العربية	كَيْفِيَّة kayfiyya, طَرِيقَة ṭarīqa, وَسِيلَة wasīla
עברית	גִּישָׁה gishá

noun opportunity of drawing near — see also access

Español	acercamiento
Deutsch	Annäherung
Русский	до́ступ dóstup
עברית	גִּישָׁה gishá

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Cite this

MLA

"approach." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/approach. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

approach. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/approach

Chicago

"approach." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/approach.

BibTeX

@misc{approach_2026,
  title = {approach},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/approach},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}

approach

AI In plain words

approach¹

Where it comes from

verb approaches · approaching · approached

approach²

Where it comes from

noun approaches

Thesaurus

Translations

verb 5. (transitive, also figuratively) to move toward

verb 1. (intransitive) to come or go near, in place or time

verb 3. (ambitransitive, figuratively) to draw near

verb 4. (''ambitransitive'') to be positioned as to appear to be moving towards

verb 6. (transitive) to bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near

verb to attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem)

verb to bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, etc.

verb (military) to take approaches to (a place); to move towards (a place) by digging trenches

noun avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached — see also access

noun way an aircraft comes in to land at an airport

noun act of drawing near in place or time

noun manner of making (a policy) or solving (a problem, etc.)

noun opportunity of drawing near — see also access

approach^¹

approach^²