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guesswork

American  
[ges-wurk] / ˈgɛsˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. work or procedure based on or consisting of the making of guesses or conjectures.

guesswork British  
/ ˈɡɛsˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. a set of conclusions, estimates, etc, arrived at by guessing

  2. the process of making guesses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of guesswork

First recorded in 1715–25; guess + work

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.

Intelligence analysts don’t have to rely so much on guesswork.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

Fundamentally, most of the numbers in companies’ financial statements are built on estimates, guesswork and assumptions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

For the past few months, investors and policymakers have had to rely on guesswork to determine the path of inflation.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

Nobel Fresh Cart Chirashi Set For 4 – Nobel Fresh Cart ships high-quality fish, seafood, and curated bundles that take the guesswork out of planning a meal.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

It’s an aspect of the art of writing which depends on intuition, experience, and guesswork, but there is also an overarching guideline.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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.