estimate

verb

Save Word

es·ti·mate | \ ˈe-stə-ˌmāt

estimated; estimating

Definition of estimate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of

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

c : to produce a statement of the approximate cost of

2 : judge, conclude

3 archaic

a : esteem

b : appraise

estimate

noun

es·ti·mate | \ ˈe-stə-mət

Definition of estimate (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a rough or approximate calculation

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

2 : a statement of the cost of work to be done

3 : an opinion or judgment of the nature, character, or quality of a person or thing had a high estimate of his abilities

4 : the act of appraising or valuing : calculation

Other Words from estimate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about estimate

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for estimate

Verb

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

Examples of estimate in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Official documents offer no casualty number, but researchers estimate widespread death. — Washington Post, "Germany has agreed to return Nigeria’s looted treasure. Will other countries follow?," 10 May 2021 So far, scientists have identified around 250,000 marine species, but more than 80% of the ocean is still unexplored and researchers estimate that nine in 10 ocean species have yet to be classified. — Cnn Staff, CNN, "Our oceans are amazing, but they need our help," 7 May 2021 Wharton's researchers estimate Mr. Biden's corporate tax increase will generate $2.1 trillion over the next decade. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Here's what's in Biden's $3.5 trillion plan to tax the rich," 1 May 2021 Using a series of surveys from 30,000 working-age Americans, researchers estimate that 20 percent of post-pandemic workdays will happen at home, compared with 5 percent before the virus. — Aarian Marshall, Wired, "The WFH Exodus Creates an Opportunity for Small Cities," 29 Apr. 2021 The researchers estimate that the rocks would have to be located at least five kilometers (3 miles) underground to achieve the requisite protection. — Don Lincoln, Forbes, "Ancient Rocks May Hold Key To Detecting Dark Matter," 28 Apr. 2021 Researchers estimate that addressing air pollution by eliminating fossil-fuel emissions and instead relying on wind, solar, nuclear and other low-emission energy sources, could raise life expectancy by 1.1 years. — New York Times, "Want to Live to 200?," 27 Apr. 2021 Researchers estimate that tropical forests on the planet today still hold more carbon than humanity as emitted over the past 30 years by burning coal, oil, and natural gas. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "Apple Just Made a Huge Investment in an Ancient Technology: Trees," 15 Apr. 2021 Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, home to the primary lab sequencing strains of the disease in the state, estimate about 40 percent of cases are now the highly contagious UK variant. — al, "More contagious UK variant of COVID-19 becoming dominant in Alabama," 7 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The original cost estimate to redevelop the State Pier was $93 million, then increased to $157 million and has added $78 million since Lamont touted the project 15 months ago, Formica said. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "Despite the ballooning cost to redevelop State Pier in New London, supporters say it will create jobs and boost the offshore wind energy industry," 11 May 2021 Trefis estimates Electronic Arts’ fiscal Q4 2021 revenues to be around $1.3 billion, below the consensus estimate of $1.4 billion. — Trefis Team, Forbes, "What To Expect From Electronic Arts’ Q4?," 10 May 2021 The fire damaged a total of three townhouses, but a damage estimate was not immediately available. — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fire displaces 12 residents at townhomes in Mountain View," 9 May 2021 The crown's high estimate is 350,000 Swiss francs ($385,602). — CNN, "This rare jewelry set up for auction once belonged to Napoleon's daughter," 6 May 2021 The World Health Organization said in February that $1.6 billion would be needed to remedy the oxygen shortage for a year; now that estimate is up to $6.5 billion. — New York Times, "Why Some Hospitals Lack the Oxygen to Keep Patients Alive," 4 May 2021 The cost estimate for the expansion instead is approximately $750,000. — Linda Gandee, cleveland, "Avon Lake to expand City Hall," 3 May 2021 Turns out, the 6.4% reading on real GDP came in a whisker below the consensus estimate. — Bernhard Warner, Fortune, "Amazon’s blowout results fail to lift stock futures," 30 Apr. 2021 By April, the consensus estimate had jumped to 6.3 percent. — Washington Post, "Biden’s economy shows strength, but recovery is far from complete," 22 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'estimate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.