Estimate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈe-stə-ˌmāt/ (verb) /ˈe-stə-mət/ (noun) es·ti·mate

Meaning & Definition of Estimate

Estimate (verb)

  1. to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of
  2. to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of
  3. to produce a statement of the approximate cost of

Estimate (noun)

  1. a rough or approximate calculation
  2. a numerical value obtained from a statistical sample and assigned to a population parameter
  3. a statement of the cost of work to be done

Estimate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make an approximate or tentative judgment regarding

    "experts estimated the value of the painting at a million dollars"

    similar: appraise, assess, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, set, valuate, value
    related: adjudge, deem, judge, ascertain, determine, discover, learn, price, prize, decide, settle, analyze, assay, survey, test, reappraise, reassess, reevaluate, rejudge, revalue, transvaluate, transvalue, misesteem, misjudge, misprize, underestimate, undervalue

  2. to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement

    "we estimated the snowfall to be about a foot"

    similar: calculate, call, conjecture, figure, gauge, guess, judge, make, place, put, reckon, suppose
    related: conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather, infer, reason, understand
    near: calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out

Estimate (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the act of placing a value on the nature, character, or quality of something

    "what we owe our war veterans is beyond estimate"

    similar: appraisal, appraisement, assessment, estimation, evaluation, reckoning, valuation
    related: calculation, computation, measurement, mensuration, audit, check, checkup, examination, inspection, review, scan, scrutiny, survey, reassessment, transvaluation, overestimation, overevaluation, underestimation

  2. an opinion on the nature, character, or quality of something

    "the estimate of many art specialists that the painting is a fake"

    similar: appraisal, appraisement, assessment, estimation, evaluation, fix, judgment, value judgment
    related: aperçu, feeling, impression, notion, perception, confidence, faith, stock, trust, belief, conviction, mind, persuasion, sentiment, view, conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, surmise, theory

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Estimate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Estimate:

appraise, assess, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, set, valuate, value, calculate, call, conjecture, figure, gauge, guess, judge, make, place, put, reckon, suppose, appraisal, appraisement, assessment, estimation, evaluation, reckoning, valuation, fix, judgment, value judgment

Related Words for Estimate

adjudge, deem, ascertain, determine, discover, learn, price, prize, decide, settle, analyze, assay, survey, test, reappraise, reassess, reevaluate, rejudge, revalue, transvaluate, transvalue, misesteem, misjudge, misprize, underestimate, undervalue, conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather

Near Antonyms of Estimate

calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out

Word Forms of Estimate

Inflections: estimated, estimating

Derived words: estimative (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Estimate

Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare to value, estimate

First known use: circa 1532

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Estimate

Words & Phrases Containing Estimate

point estimate, reestimate

Frequently Asked Questions about Estimate

What does "Estimate" mean?

"Estimate" means to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Estimate"?

Other words for "Estimate" include appraise, assess, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, set, valuate and value. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Estimate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Estimate"?

There are 99 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Estimate". Common alternatives include appraise, assess, evaluate, guesstimate, rate, set, valuate, value, calculate and call.

How do you use "Estimate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Estimate" in a sentence: "experts estimated the value of the painting at a million dollars"; "we estimated the snowfall to be about a foot"; "what we owe our war veterans is beyond estimate".

Is "Estimate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Estimate" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Estimate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Estimate" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Estimate"?

"Estimate" is pronounced /ˈe-stə-ˌmāt/ as a verb and /ˈe-stə-mət/ as a noun and divided into syllables as es·ti·mate.

What is the origin of the word "Estimate"?

"Estimate" comes from Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare to value, estimate. First known use: circa 1532.