estimate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
estimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
estimated,
past participle, past
-
estimating
present participle
verb (used without object)
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estimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
estimated,
past participle, past
-
estimating
present participle
noun
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estimates
plural
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an approximate judgment or calculation, as of the value, amount, time, size, or weight of something.
- Synonyms:
- appraisal, calculation, valuation
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a judgment or opinion, as of the qualities of a person or thing.
-
a statement of the approximate charge for work to be done, submitted by a person or business firm ready to undertake the work.
verb
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to form an approximate idea of (distance, size, cost, etc); calculate roughly; gauge
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to form an opinion about; judge
to estimate one's chances
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to submit (an approximate price) for (a job) to a prospective client
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(tr) statistics to assign a value (a point estimate ) or range of values (an interval estimate ) to a parameter of a population on the basis of sampling statistics See estimator
noun
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an approximate calculation
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a statement indicating the likely charge for or cost of certain work
-
a judgment; appraisal; opinion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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estimatornoun
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preestimatenoun
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reestimatenoun
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self-estimatenoun
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preestimateverb (used with object)
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reestimateverb (used with object)
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estimativeadjective
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unestimatedadjective
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well-estimatedadjective
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estimatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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estimatesimple
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estimatessimple
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have estimatedperfect
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has estimatedperfect
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am estimatingprogressive
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are estimatingprogressive
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is estimatingprogressive
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have been estimatingperfect progressive
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has been estimatingperfect progressive
Past
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estimatedsimple
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had estimatedperfect
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was estimatingprogressive
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were estimatingprogressive
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had been estimatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of estimate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin aestimātus “valued,” past participle of aestimāre “to value, fix the value of”
Explanation
A rough calculation or appraisal is an estimate. When you hit another baseball through the kitchen window, your parents will get an estimate of the repair costs. And you should estimate being grounded for approximately 3 weeks. An estimate is kind of like a very educated guess. Making an estimate takes good evaluation skills, and usually estimates are pretty close to the actual outcome. If the garage bill is way higher than the estimate they gave you, for example, you have a right to be angry. But if you forgot to factor in rush hour traffic when you estimated the drive from Boston to New York, that's your own fault.
Vocabulary lists containing estimate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Arithmetic
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Tax Day Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Researchers estimate that the remaining technical challenges could be solved within the next 5-10 years.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
The last estimate of the species' population size, in 2016, was just over 13,500.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
It means their holiday to Slovenia has been cancelled and - although their flight was refunded by British Airways - they estimate being left £1,300 out of pocket from unused accommodation and excursions.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
That was more than Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s initial estimate of roughly $4 billion in purchases intended to tame the “fever” in bond markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
I estimate that I spent over $2,300 on self-help books, workshops, and videos to make myself into the man Cindy Sindy wanted me to be.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Mørk estimates that using nanolasers in computers could reduce energy consumption by as much as half.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nepal estimates the reconstruction bill after deadly floods sparked by a glacial mountain collapse last month will amount to $4.78 billion, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Organisers said some of the gatherings attracted more than 100,000 people, though police had lower estimates of the turnout.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Total revenue rose 30% to $19.34 billion, ahead of Wall Street estimates for $19.14 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Many estimates place the number of dead at around five hundred.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
"At an estimated $5,000 per dose, this approach would be far more accessible than today's therapies."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Data from cargo surveyor AmSpec Agri Malaysia estimated that Malaysia’s palm oil exports during the Sept. 1-10 period fell 17% on month, indicating weaker demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The project’s estimated $52-million cost includes $22 million in VA funds identified as “commercial cost” for development of the ground floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Experts estimated that close to 400,000 people remain at risk from a myriad of life altering ailments.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Harry estimated that their owners were fewer than twenty feet away, but the cascading river made it impossible to tell for sure.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
AB 2222 would create the largest relief plan in the U.S. to date, with the state tax board estimating it would make more than $40 million available to the state’s newsrooms annually.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Campaigners say the French ban has done little to stop people taking home tests, with the advocacy group DNA Pass estimating that well over a million French people have taken one.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In addition, the analysts flag a likely deceleration in constant-currency backlog growth, estimating SAP will end the year at 24% organic growth versus the 26% figure from June.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Hoge spent a week holed up in a conference room with Moderna’s top chemical engineer, sketching designs and estimating the cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
It was from 1658 onwards, and thanks to Christiaan Huygens, that ordinary people began to have access to accurate timepieces, instead of estimating the time of day by the position of the Sun.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
