estate

[ ih-steyt ]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

, es·tat·ed, es·tat·ing.

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

estate

/ 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 calledestate 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of estate¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of estate¹

C13: from Old French estat, from Latin status condition, state

Synonym Study

See property.

Example Sentences

As the Times lays out, they aren't confining their foreign businesses to real estate and hospitality this time.

From Salon

The Trump family is also branching out to forge foreign ties beyond the real estate business.

From New York Times

Back in the 1880s, what is now Santa Rosa Avenue was actually built to be the grand entrance to the home of Altadena’s founder, real estate developer and rancher John Woodbury.

From Los Angeles Times

Among the financiers was MSquared, a women-owned real estate development and investment firm that will retain an equity share, as will New York investment and development firm Six Peak Capital.

From Los Angeles Times

Both would impact the cost of construction and, therefore, the cost of real estate.

From Salon

Related Words

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