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

Your friend appears to have a lot of anxiety about her estate after she’s gone, and she either did not hear or did not respect your first answer.

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 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

His body was re-covered and buried at his family estate.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

The charity said there was "a huge community effort" to halt the spread with gamekeepers and other staff from neighbouring estates.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Three summer music festivals on historical country estates have been cancelled at the eleventh hour, with the organiser blaming high costs and low ticket sales.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

However, Jonathan White, trusts and estates partner with Jordan & White in Danvers, Mass., says it’s better to get your wishes in writing, even if it’s just for the caregiver’s peace of mind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

There is no social contract requiring aunts and uncles to divide their estates equally among their nieces and nephews, but unequal inheritances can still pack an unintentional emotional punch.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

The Dundee is a shoe designed for touring the landed estates, for tromping through mud while wearing a tie, with your spaniels trailing behind.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"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

Had Thady Macdermot had ready money, it might have been well built; but though an estated gentleman, he had none.

From The Macdermots of Ballycloran 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

It was all the difference between rank and obscurity—between wealth and want—between the condition of an estated gentleman and the assumption of a mere pretender.

From Roland Cashel Volume II (of II) by Lever, Charles James

Related Words

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