guesstimate

American  

[ges-tuh-meyt, ges-tuh-mit, -meyt] / ˈgɛs təˌmeɪt, ˈgɛs tə mɪt, -ˌmeɪt /

Or guestimate

verb (used with object)

guesstimated, guesstimating

1. to estimate without substantial basis in facts or statistics.

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noun

1. an estimate arrived at by guesswork.

guesstimate British  

noun

1. an estimate calculated mainly or only by guesswork

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verb

1. to form a guesstimate of

Etymology

Origin of guesstimate

1935–40, blend of guess and estimate

Example Sentences

The professional piano tuner has been locked in dispute with the supplier for five years, accusing the company of billing his Wolverhampton home based on "guesstimates" rather than actual metre readings.

From BBC

By my guesstimate, that was legal up until Malcolm was 22?

From Los Angeles Times

He said he "never felt that these statements would be taken very seriously," and that some of the values listed were based on "guesstimates," according to The AP.

From Salon

Some of the values listed were based on “guesstimates,” he conceded.

From Washington Times

She’s now dealing with the books in her home, which she guesstimates to be around 800 — dispensing with three boxes a month.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• assumption
• conclusion
• conjecture
• feeling
• guesswork
• hunch
• hypothesis
• inference
• judgment
• opinion
• prediction
• presumption
• supposition
• theory