verb \ˈes-tə-ˌmāt\

: to give or form a general idea about the value, size, or cost of (something) : to make an estimate of (something)


Full Definition of ESTIMATE

transitive verb
a :  esteem
b :  appraise
a :  to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of
b :  to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of
c :  to produce a statement of the approximate cost of
es·ti·ma·tive \-ˌmā-tiv\ adjective

Examples of ESTIMATE

  1. They estimated the distance at about three miles.
  2. We need to estimate how much paint we'll need for the job.
  3. The cost of the project has been estimated at about 10 million dollars.
  4. He estimates that current oil reserves are 20 percent lower than they were a year ago.

Origin of ESTIMATE

Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare to value, estimate
First Known Use: circa 1532

Synonym Discussion of ESTIMATE

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance. estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out <estimated the crowd at two hundred>. appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment <having their house appraised>. evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary <evaluate a student's work>. value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment <a watercolor valued by the donor at $500>. rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values <a highly rated restaurant>. assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action <officials are trying to assess the damage>.

Rhymes with ESTIMATE



noun \ˈes-tə-mət\

: a guess that you make based on the information you have about the size, amount, etc., of something

: a statement about how much a job will cost

: an opinion or judgment about how good or bad something is

Full Definition of ESTIMATE

:  the act of appraising or valuing :  calculation
:  an opinion or judgment of the nature, character, or quality of a person or thing <had a high estimate of his abilities>
a :  a rough or approximate calculation
b :  a numerical value obtained from a statistical sample and assigned to a population parameter
:  a statement of the cost of work to be done

Examples of ESTIMATE

  1. According to government estimates, current oil reserves are 10 percent lower than they were a year ago.
  2. One conservative estimate is that he stole five million dollars.
  3. We solicited several estimates for the project.
  4. The contractor's estimate for the job seemed high.
  5. The company's products are, by general estimate, poorly made.

First Known Use of ESTIMATE


Rhymes with ESTIMATE


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