estate

American  

[ih-steyt] / ɪˈsteɪt /

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.

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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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Related Words

See property.

Etymology

Origin of estate

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

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

This double estate is entailed to each of us at birth.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Bonin said real estate developers, labor unions and other well-funded donors have historically followed the “democratic norm,” identifying their biggest contributors on their ads and naming all of them in their public filings.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

For your gift from your IRA to be excluded from your income, you may not receive anything in return from the charity, says Jere Doyle, senior estate planning strategist at BNY Wealth.

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

That began Zissman’s eight-year relationship with two generations of Sydney’s family, helping them through the death of both parents and the hurdles of settling their estate.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

It was found by Svetlana, the grim-faced servant who did more than her share of work around the estate.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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