estate

American  

[ih-stayt] / ɪˈsteɪt /

noun

• estates
  plural

1. a piece of landed property, especially one of large extent with an elaborate house on it.

   to have an estate in the country.

2. Law.

   1. property or possessions.

   2. the legal position or status of an owner, considered with respect to property owned in land or other things.

   3. the degree or quantity of interest that a person has in land with respect to the nature of the right, its duration, or its relation to the rights of others.

   4. interest, ownership, or property in land or other things.

   5. the property of a deceased person, a bankrupt, etc., viewed as an aggregate.

3. British. a housing development.

4. a period or condition of life.

   to attain to man's estate.

5. a major political or social group or class, especially one once having specific political powers, as the clergy, nobles, and commons in France or the lords spiritual, lords temporal, and commons in England.

6. condition or circumstances with reference to worldly prosperity, estimation, etc.; social status or rank.

7. Obsolete. pomp or state.

8. Obsolete. high social status or rank.

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verb (used with object)

estated, estating

1. Obsolete. to establish in or as in an estate.

estate British  

/ ɪˈsteɪt /

noun

1. a large piece of landed property, esp in the country

2. a large area of property development, esp of new houses or ( trading estate ) of factories

3. property law

   1. property or possessions

   2. the nature of interest that a person has in land or other property, esp in relation to the right of others

   3. the total extent of the real and personal property of a deceased person or bankrupt

4. Also called: estate of the realm. an order or class of persons in a political community, regarded collectively as a part of the body politic: usually regarded as being the lords temporal (peers), lords spiritual, and commons See also States General fourth estate

5. state, period, or position in life, esp with regard to wealth or social standing

   youth's estate

   a poor man's estate

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Synonym Usage

See property.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• estates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of estate

1175–1225; Middle English estat < Middle French; cognate with Provençal estat. See state

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Explanation

The word estate is mostly used to mean a massive and fabulous house on a big piece of land. When you own an estate, it usually means you have a whole lot of money to go along with it. While an estate refers mostly to land and a house on it, it can also refer to all of a person’s possessions — and this sense of the word is often used after someone has died to refer to everything they are leaving behind. “You are set to inherit half of your grandfather’s estate, which includes his entire collection of stuffed raccoons.” In the past (and sometimes still) estate was also used to refer to someone’s state or condition, as well as his or her social standing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

estate estates estated

The firm recently hired a head of institutional capital in Japan, a managing director in real estate and a head of insurance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Some of those living in a new-build housing estate nearby are concerned about the project, including James George, 32, who said he was worried about the impact on the environment and his home.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Earlier this year, U.S. logistics firm Prologis agreed to buy U.K. rival Segro, the parent company of Slough’s trading estate that has benefited from the data-center build-out, for $19 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Leaders in Beijing have struggled for years to reverse a stubborn slump in the once-booming real estate sector, which has dampened consumer confidence and weighed on overall activity.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Dream homes from real estate circulars and cats off 9-Lives.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant

For families with complex estates, consolidating accounts and assets under one trustee can help everything run more smoothly.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Juan Munoz-Oca, the estates director for Marchesi Antinori’s U.S. business, said he learned of the theft Thursday morning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Citing analysis by the consultancy Oxford Economics, the Conservatives say the number of estates paying the tax will rise to 52,100 in 2029-30.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The Conservatives estimate their reforms would reduce the number of affected estates in 2030 to 22,000.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

In other matters they were, as a rule, generous and not greedy, but contented and moderate, so that estates, farms, workshops, and small trades tended to remain unchanged for generations.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

There were deeds, and bonds, and leases, rent-rolls, and valuations, and powers of attorney, and all the other imposing accessories of estated property.

From The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II) by Charles James Lever

Every class, from the estated proprietor to the humblest peasant, is loud in asserting that the story is an infamous falsehood.

From Lord Kilgobbin by Charles James Lever

This system was, however, especially disadvantageous to one class of estated proprietors, the Municipalities.

From Ancient Law Its Connection to the History of Early Society by Sir Henry Sumner Maine

But Thaddeus, otherwise Thady Macdermot, being an estated gentleman, must have a gentleman's residence on his estate, and the house of Ballycloran was accordingly built.

From The Macdermots of Ballycloran by Anthony Trollope

In connection with each of these settlements Pynar uses the phrase, 'I find planted and estated.'

From The Land-War In Ireland (1870) A History For The Times by James Godkin

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Related Words

• area
• farm
• parcel
• plantation
• ranch
• residence

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