estimate 1 of 2

Definition of estimatenext

estimate

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb estimate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of estimate are appraise, assess, evaluate, rate, and value. While all these words 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

Where would appraise be a reasonable alternative to estimate?

The words appraise and estimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When can assess be used instead of estimate?

While the synonyms assess and estimate are close in meaning, 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

When might evaluate be a better fit than estimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to estimate, evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How are the words rate and estimate related?

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

a highly rated restaurant

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of estimate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

How does the verb estimate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of estimate are appraise, assess, evaluate, rate, and value. While all these words 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

Where would appraise be a reasonable alternative to estimate?

The words appraise and estimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When can assess be used instead of estimate?

While the synonyms assess and estimate are close in meaning, 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

When might evaluate be a better fit than estimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to estimate, evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How are the words rate and estimate related?

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

a highly rated restaurant

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of estimate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of estimate
Verb
Organizers estimate more than 7 million people across the country attended No Kings events in October and 5 million protested in June. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026 Endangered whales There are estimated to be just 384 right whales left on the planet. Neal Riley, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
By his estimates, building new affordable multifamily housing costs between $50,000 and $100,000 per unit. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026 On match days, that estimate becomes unreliable. Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for estimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estimate
Verb
  • Gudas was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Such students would be immediately expelled and assessed out-of-state tuition fees.
    Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Following a shocking upset and a day of panic, there was ultimately no need to calculate any run quotient.
    Zack Meisel, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The Blue Valley School District is facing budget shortfalls that district officials say could mean cuts to programs, depending on how Kansas legislators decide to calculate and allocate public school funding across the state.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Gerwitz Little said Socure does not sell verification data and that in lightweight age-estimation scenarios, where platforms use quick facial analysis or other signals rather than government documentation, the company may store little or no information.
    Barbara Booth, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Shutting in a field without advanced computational modeling and parameter estimation is an act of economic self-destruction.
    Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Complicating any assessment of the incident is the lack of images of bomb fragments from the blast.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Their assessment places the probability below 50 percent.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • More than 500 customers are paying Anthropic at least $1 million annually for Claude, according to a recent investment announcement that valued the company at $380 billion.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The operator of Fovo Foods could be valued at $700 million to $900 million in a deal, the people said.
    Pei Li, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Dolphins offense, which will be run by Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator, figures to be one of the more electric, exciting ones with Willis at quarterback, De’Von Achane at running back and Jaylen Waddle as the top wide receiver.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Kurtz, who beat out Wilson for the AL's top rookie award, figures to be next in line.
    CBS News, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But critics have questioned why the lease extension bypassed the council’s Economic Development Committee, and why no appraisal was done of the 124 acres the zoo controls in northwestern Balboa Park.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
  • OpenAI’s models, fed with Better’s mortgage data, save time by simultaneously running parallel workflows on dozens of checkpoints, including appraisals, title reports, income, credit reports and other metrics, Garg said.
    Hugh Son, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Wednesday marks the third week of the team’s approximate three-week re-evaluation timeline for Franz Wagner, who continues to manage a left high ankle sprain that’s kept him off the court for a total 34 games this season.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Treatment recommendations grow from discussion and shared evaluation, guided by ethical considerations and individualized needs.
    Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Estimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estimate. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on estimate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster