approach
/əˈprəʊtʃ
/verb [with object]
1Come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time: the train approached the main line [no object]: winter was approaching (as adjective approaching) an approaching car...
- In the distance could be heard approaching sirens.
- I yelled, all of a sudden feeling frantic as I heard the train approaching the platform above me.
- He could see, very faintly, a legion of soldiers in the distance, also approaching the forest.
Synonyms
proceed towards, come/go towards, advance towards, go near/nearer, come near/nearer, draw near/nearer, come close/closer, go close/closer, draw close/closer, move near/nearer, edge near/nearer, near, draw near;
close in on, centre on, focus on, converge on;
catch up on, gain on;
creep up on, loom;
reach, arrive at
1.1Come close to (a number, level, or standard) in quality or quantity: the population will approach 12 million by the end of the decade...
- The Mitta Mitta rose to the occasion with a river level of 1.7m, approaching the 2m cut-off mark when nobody is permitted to kayak or raft the river.
- Second generation bean leaf beetles are emerging now and beetles numbers will be approaching their highest levels for the summer.
- It also will be impossible for the two teams to approach the Bucs' level of effectiveness.
Synonyms
border on, approximate, verge on, resemble;
be comparable/similar to, compare with;
touch, nudge, get on for;
near, come near to, come/be close to
informal be not a million miles away from
1.2 archaic Bring nearer: all those changes shall serve to approach him the faster to the blest mansion
2Speak to (someone) for the first time about a proposal or request: the department had been approached about funding...
- Three years ago, I approached her with a proposal.
- Just in case anyone I work with is reading this, see if you can guess which current highly respected staff member approached me with this request.
- Within South Africa short-listed artists were approached to submit proposals for work that would address the themes of the exhibition.
Synonyms
speak to, talk to, make conversation with, engage in conversation;
take aside, detain;
greet, address, salute, hail, initiate a discussion with;
broach the matter to, make advances to, make overtures to, make a proposal to, sound out, proposition, solicit, appeal to, apply to
informal buttonhole
3Start to deal with (a situation or problem) in a certain way: one must approach the matter with caution...
- One of your arguments is that a relevant matter in approaching our constitutional problem is that the respondent is resident in South Australia.
- We cannot have a situation in which 43 different police forces approach the same problem in 43 different ways.
- In order not to be consumed by it, I have to approach difficult problems with a healthy detachment.
Synonyms
set about, tackle, begin, start, commence, embark on, make a start on, address oneself to, undertake, get down to, launch into, go about, get to grips with
informal get cracking on
noun
1A way of dealing with a situation or problem: we need a whole new approach to the job...
- It equates belief systems with what informs your approach to a situation, and evaluates the system by the results.
- You are diplomatic and cautious in your approach to sticky situations.
- A major plus would be his measured approach to situations, giving due weight to consequences.
Synonyms
attitude, slant, perspective, point of view, viewpoint, outlook, line of attack, line of action;
method, procedure, process, technique, MO, style, strategy, stratagem, way, manner, mode, tactic, tack, path, system, means;
Latin modus operandi
2An initial proposal or request made to someone: the landowner made an approach to the developer...
- She said a survey had been carried out in Tosside following an approach from a planning agent on behalf of a local landowner.
- It has already indicated that it has received an approach from a mystery bidder now known to be a private equity group.
- The company is braced for an approach from its German rival with a plan that will see them merge their core operations.
Synonyms
proposal, proposition, submission, motion, offer, application, appeal, plea
2.1 (approaches) dated Behaviour intended to propose personal or sexual relations with someone: feminine resistance to his approaches...
- She told a District Court inquiry this week that she had taped telephone conversations with him in 2000 and 2001 because she feared he would kill her after she rejected his approaches.
- When she rejected his approaches, he began to treat her meanly and find fault with her.
- But she knew why he would never because she would never accept his approaches.
Synonyms
advances, overtures, suggestions, attentions;
suit
3 [in singular] The action of coming near or nearer to someone or something in distance or time: the approach of winter...
- Lovely picture, though I don't care for the approach of winter that the orangey browns promise, I do love these colours.
- Ethnographers say that Baba Marta is the threshold between the end of the winter season and the approach of summer.
- Autumn is a season for spectacle, made all the more gaudy by the imminent approach of winter.
Synonyms
advance, coming near/nearer, coming, nearing, advent;
arrival, entrance, appearance
3.1 (approach to) An approximation to something: the past is impossible to recall with any approach to accuracy
Synonyms
approximation, likeness, semblance, correspondence, parallel
3.2The part of an aircraft’s flight in which it descends gradually towards an airfield or runway for landing: the aircraft completed the approach and touched down I used to trim the plane back to about 50 mph for the final approach...
- The approach and landing were uneventful and the crew and aircraft were recovered safely.
- He set up for a half-flap approach and lowered the landing gear with the emergency system.
- Keep the ball in the middle in all phases of the approach to align the aircraft for maximum efficiency.
3.3 (usually approaches) A road, sea passage, or other way leading to a place: the northern approaches to London...
- Three new pedestrian islands will be built and an anti-skid coating applied in Brunshaw Road on the approaches to the roundabout.
- The war caused the temporary suspension of this plan; nevertheless, a sum of £6,600 was spent on concreting the quay roads and approaches to the berths.
- The minehunters had been in the area clearing unexploded weapons, including mines, from the approaches to the port.
Synonyms
driveway, drive, access road, road, avenue, street, passageway
Origin
Middle English: from Old French aprochier, aprocher, from ecclesiastical Latin appropiare 'draw near', from ad- 'to' + propius (comparative of prope 'near').
‘Bringing near’ is involved in approach, which is from Old French aprochier, aprocher, from ecclesiastical Latin appropiare ‘draw near’.