estimate

1 of 2

verb

es·​ti·​mate ˈe-stə-ˌmāt How to pronounce estimate (audio)
estimated; estimating
Synonyms of estimate

transitive verb

1
a
: 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
estimative
ˈe-stə-ˌmā-tiv How to pronounce estimate (audio)
adjective

estimate

2 of 2

noun

es·​ti·​mate ˈe-stə-mət How to pronounce estimate (audio)
1
a
: 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

Synonyms of estimate

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for estimate

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
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.
Verb
Authorities estimated turnout at more than 400,000, while organizers put it at nearly 800,000. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Thomas and his colleagues estimated turnout this week could be less than 80%, potentially setting a record low at any plenum since the end of former leader Mao Zedong's rule in 1976. — Kanis Leung, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
Attendees asked engineers to provide preliminary cost estimates for street lighting running from the stadium connection north to Swepco Road. — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 More than a fifth of the population is foreign-born, according to US Census estimates. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for estimate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare to value, estimate

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of estimate was circa 1532

Phrases Containing estimate

Browse Nearby Words

estimable
estimate
estimated cost
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Estimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estimate. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

estimate

1 of 2 verb
es·​ti·​mate ˈes-tə-ˌmāt How to pronounce estimate (audio)
estimated; estimating
1
: to judge the approximate value, size, or cost of on the basis of experience or observation rather than actual measurement
estimate the distance
estimate a painting job
2
: conclude sense 2, determine
estimated that the fire started in the kitchen
estimator
-ˌmāt-ər
noun

estimate

2 of 2 noun
es·​ti·​mate ˈes-tə-mət How to pronounce estimate (audio)
1
: the act of estimating
2
: an opinion or judgment of the nature, character, or quality of a thing
3
: a rough or approximate calculation
4
: a statement by a contractor of the probable cost for a job
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