estimate

English

Alternative forms

• æstimate (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimō, older form aestumo (“to value, rate, esteem”); from Old Latin *ais-temos (“one who cuts copper”), meaning one in the Roman Republic who mints money. See also the doublet esteem, as well as aim.

Pronunciation

• (UK)
  • (noun): IPA^(key): /ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/
  • (verb): IPA^(key): /ˈɛs.tɪˌmeɪt/
• (US)
  • (noun):IPA^(key): /ˈɛs.tə.mət/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

  • (verb): IPA^(key): /ˈɛs.təˌmeɪt/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

Noun

estimate (plural estimates)

1. A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
2. (construction and business) A document (or verbal notification) specifying how much a job is likely to cost.
   • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, in Well Tackled!‎:

     “They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”

3. An upper limitation on some positive quantity.
   • 1992, Louis de Branges, “The convergence of Euler functions”, in Journal of Functional Analysis, →DOI, page 185:

     The desired norm estimate is now obtained from the identity... [referring to an earlier statement saying that a certain norm is less than or equal to a certain expression]

Synonyms

• estimation
• appraisal

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

estimate (third-person singular simple present estimates, present participle estimating, simple past and past participle estimated)

1. To calculate roughly, often from imperfect data.
   • 1965, Ian Hacking, Logic of Statistical Inference‎:

     I estimate that I need 400 board feet of lumber to complete a job, and then order 350 because I do not want a surplus, or perhaps order 450 because I do not want to make any subsequent orders.

   • 2003, Alexander J. Field, Gregory Clark, William A. Sundstrom, Research in Economic History‎:

     Higher real prices for durables are estimated to have reduced their consumption per capita by 1.09% in 1930, […]

2. To judge and form an opinion of the value of, from imperfect data.
   • 1691, [John Locke], Some Considerations of the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money. , London: Awnsham and John Churchill, , published 1692, →OCLC:

     It is by the weight of silver, and not the name of the piece, that men estimate commodities and exchange them.

   • 1870, John Campbell Shairp, Culture and Religion in Some of Their Relations:

     It is always very difficult to estimate the age in which you are living.

Synonyms

• appraise
• assessment

Derived terms

• estimable
• underestimate
• overestimate
• estimation

Translations

Further reading

• “estimate”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “estimate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “estimate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• etatisme, meatiest, seat time, tea-times, teatimes, étatisme

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

estimate

1. inflection of estimare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

estimate f pl

1. feminine plural of estimato

Anagrams

• mestiate, metatesi

Spanish

Verb

estimate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of estimar combined with te