in round numbers

in round numbers idiom
Also, in round figures. As an approximate estimate. For example, How much will the new highway cost, in round numbers? or In round figures a diamond of this quality is worth five thousand dollars, but it depends on the market at the time of selling. This idiom, which uses round in the sense of “whole” or “rounded off,” is sometimes used very loosely, as Thomas Hardy did in Far from the Madding Crowd (1874): “Well, ma'am, in round numbers, she's run away with the soldiers.” [Mid-1600s] Also see ballpark figure.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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