guesswork

American  

[ges-wurk] / ˈgɛsˌwɜrk /

noun

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

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guesswork British  

/ ˈɡɛsˌwɜːk /

noun

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

2. the process of making guesses

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Etymology

Origin of guesswork

First recorded in 1715–25; guess + work

Example Sentences

Which has required some guesswork about what that essence really was.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Based on personal experience,” he wrote, “I feel that this little indicator would remove the guesswork of which side I want to park.”

From The Wall Street Journal

This challenge is designed to take the guesswork and anxiety out of developing contacts into relationships.

From The Wall Street Journal

Salon has curated a broad list to fit every taste, desire and age range – breaking them down into categories and detailing the runtimes to take the guesswork out of the process.

From Salon

"This is where a bit of guesswork comes in," explains Bigwood.

From BBC

Related Words

• conjecture
• hunch