otprilike

Otprilike is a South Slavic adverb used in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian to indicate an approximation. It means approximately, roughly, around, or circa. It is commonly used before numbers and time expressions to soften precision, and can substitute for words such as približno or oko in informal speech.

The word is a fused form of od prilike, composed of the preposition od (from) and prilike (occasion, opportunity, likelihood). In standard writing one often sees the two-word variant “od prilike,” while “otprilike” has become the common single lexical item in everyday usage.

Usage and examples include phrases like otprilike pet kilograma (about five kilograms), otprilike dva sata (roughly two hours), or otprilike 100 kuna (around 100 kunas). It is primarily employed in informal registers to convey estimations in quantities, times, prices, and other measures. In formal writing, more precise terms such as približno or otprilike can be replaced by specific figures or expressions.

Pronunciation is generally rendered as ot-pri-li-ke, with the emphasis typically on the second or a prominent syllable depending on dialect. The form is widely used across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia, and is understood across the region. While recognized in standard language, it remains more colloquial than formal, where alternatives like približno are often preferred.