Meanings
estimate1
plural estimates · alternative æstimate
- A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
“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.”
1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, in Well Tackled!Synonyms: estimation, appraisal
- specificallyA document (or verbal notification) specifying how much a job is likely to cost.
Synonyms: estimation, appraisal
- An upper limitation on some positive quantity.
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]
1992, Louis de Branges, “The convergence of Euler functions”, in Journal of Functional Analysis, →DOI, page 185
estimate2
present singular third person estimates · participle present estimating · participle past estimated · past estimated · alternative æstimate
- To calculate roughly, often from imperfect data.
Higher real prices for durables are estimated to have reduced their consumption per capita by 1.09% in 1930, […]
2003, Alexander J. Field, Gregory Clark, William A. Sundstrom, Research in Economic History1 more example
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.
1965, Ian Hacking, Logic of Statistical Inference - To judge and form an opinion of the value of, from imperfect data.
It is always very difficult to estimate the age in which you are living.
1870, John Campbell Shairp, Culture and Religion in Some of Their Relations1 more example
It is by the weight of silver, and not the name of the piece, that men estimate commodities and exchange them.
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
estimate3
comparative more estimate · superlative most estimate · alternative æstimate
- obsoleterareestimated
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
nounA document (or verbal notification) specifying how much a job is likely to cost.
partial synonyms:
More synonyms by meaning
nounan approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth
nouna judgment of the qualities of something or somebody
nouna document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)
verbjudge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
verbjudge to be probable
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
estimate · noun
- Middle Englishestimat
- Englishestimate
From Middle English estimat, borrowed from Latin aestimātus (“valuing, estimate”, only used in the ablative singular: "aestimātū..." (in valuing...)), from aestimō + -tus (“action noun-forming suffix”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →estimate · verb
- Old Latin*ais-temos“one who cuts copper”
- Latinaestimātus
- Englishestimate
Borrowed from Latin aestimātus, perfect passive participle of aestimō (“to estimate”) (see -ate), older form aestumō (“to value, rate, esteem”); from Old Latin *ais-temos (“one who cuts copper”), meaning one in the Roman Republic who mints money. Compare Middle English estymatt (“reputed”) / estimat. See also the doublet esteem, as well as aim.
More words from Latin, Old Latin
Full word history & related roots →estimate · adjective
- Latinaestimātus“estimated”
- Englishestimate
From Latin aestimātus (“estimated”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 2 for more. Originally used as the past participle of estimate; compare generate or communicate.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian осметка, калкулация
- осметка (osmetka)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- калкулация (kalkulacija)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- пресмятане (presmjatane)rough calculation or guess
- приблизителна оценка (priblizitelna ocenka)rough calculation or guess
- оценявам (ocenjavam)to calculate roughly
- пресмятам (presmjatam)to calculate roughly
Chinese Mandarin 估計 /估计, 估計 /估计
- 估計 /估计 (gūjì)rough calculation or guess
- 估計 /估计 (gūjì)to calculate roughly
- 預估 /预估 (yùgū)to calculate roughly
- 預計 /预计 (yùjì)to calculate roughly
- 估算 (gūsuàn)to calculate roughly
Czech odhad, odhadnout
- odhadrough calculation or guess
- odhadnoutto calculate roughly
Danish estimat, estimere
- estimatrough calculation or guess
- estimereto calculate roughly
Dutch raming, schatting
- raming(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- schattingrough calculation or guess
- schattento calculate roughly
Esperanto taksi
- taksirough calculation or guess
Estonian hinnang
- hinnangrough calculation or guess
Finnish arvio, arvio
- arvio(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- arviorough calculation or guess
- arvioidato calculate roughly
French devis, estimation
- devis(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- estimationrough calculation or guess
- estimerto calculate roughly
German Voranschlag, Schätzung
- Voranschlag(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- Schätzungrough calculation or guess
- Abschätzungrough calculation or guess
- abschätzento calculate roughly
- schätzento calculate roughly
Greek εκτίμηση, υπολογισμός
- εκτίμηση (ektímisi)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- υπολογισμός (ypologismós)rough calculation or guess
- εκτίμηση (ektímisi)rough calculation or guess
- εκτιμώ (ektimó)to calculate roughly
Hindi आकलन, अनुमान
- आकलन (āklan)rough calculation or guess
- अनुमान (anumān)rough calculation or guess
- आकलन (āklan)to calculate roughly
- अनुमान (anumān)to calculate roughly
Hungarian költségbecslés, költségvetés
- költségbecslés(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- költségvetés(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- díjkalkuláció(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- becslésrough calculation or guess
- becsülto calculate roughly
Icelandic kostnaðaráætlun, áætlun
- kostnaðaráætlun(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- áætlunrough calculation or guess
- áætlato calculate roughly
Irish meastachán, meastachán
- meastachán(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- meastachánrough calculation or guess
- measto calculate roughly
Italian preventivo, stima
- preventivo(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- stimarough calculation or guess
- stimareto calculate roughly
Japanese 推定
- 推定 (suitei)rough calculation or guess
Norwegian Bokmål anslå, estimere
- anslåto calculate roughly
- estimereto calculate roughly
Persian تخمین زدن
- تخمین زدن (taxmin zadan)to calculate roughly
Polish kosztorys, oszacowanie
- kosztorys(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- oszacowanierough calculation or guess
- szacunekrough calculation or guess
- szacowaćto calculate roughly
- oszacowaćto calculate roughly
Portuguese estimativa, estimativa
- estimativa(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- estimativarough calculation or guess
- cálculorough calculation or guess
- estimarto calculate roughly
Romanian antecalculație, antecalcul
- antecalculație(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- antecalcul(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- estimarerough calculation or guess
Russian сме́та, расчёт
- сме́та (sméta)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- расчёт (rasčót)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- оце́нка (océnka)rough calculation or guess
- оце́нивать (océnivatʹ)to calculate roughly
- оцени́ть (ocenítʹ)to calculate roughly
Scottish Gaelic tuairmse
- tuairmserough calculation or guess
Spanish presupuesto, estimación
- presupuestorough calculation or guess
- estimaciónrough calculation or guess
- estimarto calculate roughly
Swedish kostnadsberäkning, uppskattning
- kostnadsberäkning(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- uppskattningrough calculation or guess
- skattningrough calculation or guess
- uppskattato calculate roughly
Tagalog taya, tantiya
- tayarough calculation or guess
- tantiyarough calculation or guess
- tayahinto calculate roughly
- tantiyahinto calculate roughly
Thai กะ
- กะ (gà)to calculate roughly
Ukrainian кошто́рис, оці́нка
- кошто́рис (koštórys)(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost
- оці́нка (ocínka)rough calculation or guess
- кошто́рис (koštórys)rough calculation or guess
- оці́нювати (ocínjuvaty)to calculate roughly
Vietnamese ước lượng, ước lượng
- ước lượngrough calculation or guess
- ước lượngto calculate roughly
Welsh amcangyfrif, amcangyfrif
- amcangyfrifrough calculation or guess
- amcangyfrifto calculate roughly
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
estimate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/estimate
“estimate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/estimate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “estimate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/estimate.
Source: estimate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.