estate

American  

[ih-steyt] / 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

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

Between 2018 and 2022, a client in Southern California who owned commercial and residential real estate applied for several mortgages stating that they would live in the properties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

The social-networking company has been aggressively locking up future data-center capacity and has issued several requests for proposals on additional projects related to real estate, energy and other AI infrastructure, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

From that point forward, only a court-appointed executor or administrator has the authority to act for the estate.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

West Mercia Police sent speeding tickets to a Grade II listed Herefordshire castle bought by Hammond in 2012 and a £1m farm estate near Hereford, but the letters were returned marked as "addressee gone away".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

“The real estate agent says, ‘We’re opening doors for you!’

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

It was suggested this would be paid for through a compulsory contribution from people's estates after they'd died.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

They have also been helped by an army of gamekeepers, estate workers and volunteers from neighbouring estates.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

While one of the estates has now changed hands, Combs still owns the second of his two Star Island homes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

The North Korean leader, based on satellite-imagery estimates, owns more than a dozen luxury estates across the impoverished nation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Up in the high meadows north of Lord Yronwood’s estates, the air was always crisp and cool after dark, no matter how hot the day had been.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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

From Barchester Towers by Trollope, Anthony

When Councillor Holmes comes down at the assizes, I'll lay a case before him, and I'll wager a trifle, Peter, you will turn out to be an estated gentleman.'

From Lord Kilgobbin by Lever, Charles James

They admitted all strangers that were confidingly introduced; for, it was a main end of their institution to make proselytes, especially of the raw estated youths newly come to town.

From The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07 by Scott, Walter, Sir

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 Maine, Henry Sumner, Sir

I mean, of course, of the elder branch, for there are swarms of the others, well to do and prosperous also, and with fine estated properties.

From A Day's Ride A Life's Romance by Lever, Charles James

Related Words

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