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estimate

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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

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
Intake can estimate probability and prioritize resources, while records provide confirmation. Arnold Sotelo, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Taken together, OpenAI’s current revenue and capital commitments fall far short of what would be needed to fully fund the Oracle contract, with analysts estimating the company would need hundreds of billions in annual revenue to meet these obligations. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Barcelona today is an overrun pleasure destination, with estimates of more than thirty million visitors a year. D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025 Some golf historians believe that number was exaggerated, with estimates closer to 11 or 14, which would leave Daly in contention for golf’s most notorious single hole score. Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for estimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estimate
Verb
  • Asia-Pacific markets meanwhile rose overnight, as investors assessed August inflation data out of China.
    Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Asked whether Marquette is considering expanding the unit's reach in the wake of the crash, university spokesperson Kevin Conway said its effectiveness and use is being assessed and discussed.
    Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That asymmetry matters when calculating total cost and complexity.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Advertisement The period piece presents the sisters as calculating and strategic, yet brutal in their enforcement of control.
    Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The wrongful death lawsuit comes amid the implementation of additional safety features on Roblox, and the company’s goal of expanding its age-estimation technology to all of its users by the end of the year.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Researchers distributed email surveys to 80,000 licensed hunters and another 80,000 landowners in the subject states, and over 1,200 active conservation officers were also surveyed in an effort to get a comprehensive view of attitudes about and estimations of the prevalence of poaching.
    Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The assessment was first reported by the Washington Post.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Defensive assessment The Horned Frogs’ defense did what it was supposed to most of the night against Abilene Christian, but the performance still left something to be desired.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Nikolas Kokovlis | Nurphoto | Getty Images Online lender Klarna priced its IPO at $40 per share on Tuesday, above its expected range, in a deal that values the Swedish company at about $15 billion.
    Ryan Browne, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • So, clearly the Patriots value his role as a blocker in the run game.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Belly, with her flaws and indecision, reflects the awkward but deeply human process of figuring oneself out.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Everything else will figure itself out.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Worrying for France, Fitch's latest appraisal of France's credit-worthiness was the first of several rating reviews on the horizon.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The building’s owners obtained an independent appraisal, which Denver Water paid for, and submitted it by the July deadline.
    Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • On July 28, a judge ordered Brown to get a forensic evaluation after Brown’s public defender questioned Brown’s capacity in a motion.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
  • These graphs not only support debugging but also inform model evaluation, versioning and agent performance monitoring.
    Gopikrishnan Anilkumar, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Estimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estimate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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