adverb Almost, not quite, close to but not completely
preposition Used to indicate that something is close to being or happening
Nearly equal is a term used to describe two values that are very close to being equal but not quite.
In statistical analysis, nearly significant refers to results that are close to being statistically significant but not quite meeting the threshold.
In engineering, nearly optimal solutions are those that are close to being the best possible solution but not quite.
In computer science, nearly sorted data refers to data that is almost sorted but may have a few elements out of order.
In physics, nearly elastic collision refers to a collision in which kinetic energy is nearly conserved.
In a professional context, 'nearly' can be used by writers to indicate that something is almost but not quite at a certain point or level. For example, 'The project is nearly complete.'
Psychologists may use 'nearly' to describe the progress or improvement of a patient's mental health. For instance, 'The patient is nearly ready to be discharged.'
Engineers may use 'nearly' to describe the accuracy or precision of measurements or calculations. For example, 'The dimensions are nearly within tolerance.'
Accountants may use 'nearly' to describe the closeness of financial figures or estimates. For instance, 'The budget is nearly balanced.'
Teachers may use 'nearly' to describe the progress of students towards a learning goal. For example, 'The students are nearly ready for the exam.'