estimate

English

Alternative forms

• æstimate (archaic)

Etymology

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 esteem.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɛstɨmɨt/ (noun)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• IPA: /ˈɛstɨˌmeɪ̪t/ (verb)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

estimate (plural estimates)

1. A rough calculation or guess.
2. (construction and business) A document (or verbal notification) specifying how much a job will probably cost.
   • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 3, Well Tackled!^[1]:

     “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.”

Synonyms

• estimation
• appraisal

Derived terms

• ballpark estimate

Translations

rough calculation or guess

• Bulgarian: пресмятане (bg) (presmjatane) n, приблизителна оценка (bg) (priblizitelna ocenka) f
• Czech: odhad (cs) m
• Danish: estimat (da)
• Dutch: schatting (nl) f
• Estonian: hinnang (et)
• Finnish: arvio (fi)
• French: estimation (fr) f
• German: Schätzung (de) f, Abschätzung (de) f
• Greek: υπολογισμός (el) (ipologhismós)

• Hungarian: becslés (hu)
• Italian: stima (it) f
• Polish: oszacowanie (pl) n
• Portuguese: estimativa (pt) f, cálculo (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: tuairmse (gd) m
• Slovene: ocena (sl) f
• Spanish: presupuesto (es), estimación (es) m
• Swedish: uppskattning (sv), skattning (sv)
• Telugu: అంచనా (te) (anchanaa)

(construction and business) a document specifying how much a job will probably cost

• Bulgarian: сметка (bg) (smetka) f, калкулация (bg) (kalkulacija) f
• German: Kostenvoranschlag (de) m

• Greek: εκτίμηση (el) (ektímissi)
• Polish: kosztorys (pl) m

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^[2]:

     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^[3]:

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

Synonyms

• appraise
• guess

Derived terms

• estimable
• underestimate
• overestimate

Translations

to calculate roughly

• Bulgarian: оценявам (bg) (ocenjavam), пресмятам (bg) (presmjatam)
• Czech: odhadnout (cs)
• Danish: estimere (da)
• Dutch: schatten (nl)
• Finnish: arvioida (fi)
• French: estimer (fr)
• German: abschätzen (de), schätzen (de)

• Greek: εκτιμώ (el) (ektimó)
• Italian: stimare (it)
• Polish: szacować (pl)
• Portuguese: estimar (pt)
• Slovene: oceniti (sl)
• Spanish: estimar (es)
• Telugu: అంచనా వేయు (te) (aMchanaa vEyu)

External links

• estimate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• “estimate” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
• estimate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

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

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Italian

Verb

estimate

1. second-person plural present indicative of estimare
2. second-person plural imperative of estimare
3. feminine plural of estimato