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.

---

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

---

Synonym Usage

See property.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• estates
  plural

---

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

See Examples For:

estate estates estated

Prior owner Andrew Meieran recently sold the building to real estate investment firm Robhana Group.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

The manager of US country music legend Dolly Parton dropped a civil lawsuit against the singer's nephew on Thursday, US media reported, after a row enveloped the late musician's estate.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

The biggest threat to estate plans is inaction, said Mark Parthemer, chief wealth strategist at Glenmede.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

But in a 33-page opinion published on Wednesday, a three-judge panel unanimously upheld an earlier ruling that Crichton's estate had presented enough evidence to pursue its claim.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Francesco will receive the whole estate, with all its land and livestock.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

But if it makes sense for clients to make gifts to family members to get assets out of their estates and move future appreciation off their balance sheets, “sooner is probably better than later.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

They were grandees of enormous estates where cattle mostly tended themselves until they were rounded up and sold for their hides, which came to be called “Yankee dollars.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

It’s also not hard to imagine the estates of Big Mama Thornton and Arthur Crudup — should any such entities exist — scoffing at those headlines.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Shall we make our counsels together against evil days, and repair our injuries with such good will that our estates shall both come to fairer flower than ever before?’

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

"It is upon estated property I intend to raise this loan, sir," said his Lordship, angrily.

From Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2) A Man Of Our Day by Charles James Lever

Roger North tells us that “they admitted all strangers that were confidingly introduced, for it was a main end of their institutions to make proselytes, especially of the raw estated youth newly come to town.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various

There is many an estated lord couldn't reach you out a fourpenny bit.

From New Irish Comedies by Lady Gregory

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

"Likening theyselves to the quality, as though they was estated folk, or the like o' that!" said Mrs. Guffern.

From Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---