estimate

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verb

es·ti·mate ˈe-stə-ˌmāt

estimated; estimating

Synonyms of estimate next

transitive verb

: to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of

: to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of

: to produce a statement of the approximate cost of

: judge, conclude

archaic

: esteem

: appraise

estimative

ˈe-stə-ˌmā-tiv

adjective

estimate

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noun

es·ti·mate ˈe-stə-mət

: a rough or approximate calculation

: a numerical value obtained from a statistical sample and assigned to a population parameter

: a statement of the cost of work to be done

: an opinion or judgment of the nature, character, or quality of a person or thing

had a high estimate of his abilities

: the act of appraising or valuing : calculation

Choose the Right Synonym for estimate

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Example Sentences

Verb They estimated the distance at about three miles. We need to estimate how much paint we'll need for the job. The cost of the project has been estimated at about 10 million dollars. He estimates that current oil reserves are 20 percent lower than they were a year ago. Noun According to government estimates, current oil reserves are 10 percent lower than they were a year ago. One conservative estimate is that he stole five million dollars. We solicited several estimates for the project. The contractor's estimate for the job seemed high. The company's products are, by general estimate, poorly made. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

If the economy tanked due to default, more than 8 million people could lose their jobs, government officials estimate. —

Darlene Superville, Fortune, 17 May 2023 In 2020, India’s population density was estimated to be about 1217 people per square mile (470 per square kilometer), according to the World Bank. —

Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY, 17 May 2023 Some of the researchers estimated in a 2021 paper that Saturn has about 150 irregular moons that are at least two miles wide, writes Sky & Telescope’s Jeff Hecht. —

Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023 In November 2019, the six men made headlines for breaking into Dresden, Germany’s renowned Grünes Gewölbe museum, known in English as the Green Vault, and stealing what police at the time estimated to be €1 billion worth of baubles set with diamonds. —

Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 16 May 2023 If Republicans lose, that crown goes to Fort Worth, a city virtually identical in size, per 2021 Census population estimates. —

Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 16 May 2023 The White House has estimated that the decline could be closer to 45 percent. —

Jeff Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 14 May 2023 Pistachio farmer Nader Malakan estimates that about 1,200 acres of pistachio crops were destroyed, to the tune of $15 million. —

Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 11 May 2023 The Citizens United and the other changes in campaign finance has been estimated to have increased Republican vote share and state legislative elections by three to five points. —

How To Save A Country, The New Republic, 11 May 2023

Noun

His housing authority in Chelmsford has just $260,000 this year to cover what DHCD estimates is $16 million worth of major deficiencies within his buildings. —

Andrew Brinker, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 Compounding pressure on Washington to strike a deal, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that agency estimates are unchanged on the possible X-date when the U.S. could run out of cash — perhaps as early as June 1. —

Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 16 May 2023 The 2020 census found 639,111 Detroit residents, down from its 2019 population estimate of 670,052. —

Mike Schneider, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2023 By some estimates, Earth is home to approximately 8.7 million species — about 6.5 million living on land and 2.2 million in the oceans, which means that roughly 86% of land species and 91% of marine species are yet to be found and described. —

Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 12 May 2023 In 2021, benefits increased 5.9%. COLA increases are determined by the Consumer Price Index showing the year-over-year change in prices for goods and services for July, August and September, so the TSCL figures are only estimates at this point. —

Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 11 May 2023 Molly Beck reports the proposal could cost the district an additional $1 million per year, according to a new state estimate. —

Bill Glauber, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2023 At the end of the first quarter, more than 250 new hotel projects were in the works for North Texas, according to the latest estimate by Lodging Econometrics. —

Steve Brown, Dallas News, 9 May 2023 The final report the task force approved includes a rough estimate of potential damages caused by slavery and its vestiges: up to $1.2 million per person over a lifetime. —

Dustin Gardiner, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'estimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.