extrapolation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of inferring an unknown from something that is known.
-
Statistics, Mathematics. the act or process of estimating the value of a variable or function outside the tabulated or observed range.
Etymology
Origin of extrapolation
First recorded in 1870–75; extrapolat(e) + -(t)ion
Explanation
An extrapolation is kind of like an educated guess or a hypothesis. When you make an extrapolation, you take facts and observations about a present or known situation and use them to make a prediction about what might eventually happen. Extrapolation comes from the word extra, meaning “outside,” and a shortened form of the word interpolation. Interpolation might sound like a made-up word, but it’s not. An interpolation is an insertion between two points. So an extrapolation is an insertion outside any existing points. If you know something about Monday and Tuesday, you might be able to make an extrapolation about Wednesday.
Vocabulary lists containing extrapolation
Artemis Fowl
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cosmos
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Coming Merging of Mind and Machine," Vocabulary from the argument
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
What he admits to be an “unscientific” extrapolation of corporate claims of AI-linked efficiencies shows businesses enjoying an average 150 basis points of margin improvement.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
If we take into account the very strong tendency towards female mobility, a paradox appears, one that places the extrapolation proposed by the Science article under deep tension.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
In 2025, the company’s annualized sales—an extrapolation of the next 12 months’ revenue based on recent sales—grew to $1 billion from $100 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
“When you look into the Feast of Seven Fishes, it’s sort of an extrapolation of that.”
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
Rudolph Zam- bardino, a statistician at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, in England, has pointed out that the lack of direct data forces researchers into salvos of extrapolation.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
