estimate definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

es·ti·mate [ éstə màyt ]

verb (past and past participle es·ti·mat·ed, present participle es·ti·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular es·ti·mates)

Definition:

1. transitive verb calculate something roughly: to make an approximate calculation of something

Can you estimate the time it will take?

2. intransitive verb suggest price: to assess something such as an item to be bought or a job to be done, and to state a likely price for it

Ask at least two contractors to estimate for the work.

3. transitive verb assess something: to form an opinion or judgment about somebody or something

How would you estimate that performance?

noun (plural es·ti·mates)

Definition:

1. rough calculation: an approximate calculation

At least a thousand people attended, by my estimate.

Here are the estimates for next month's sales figures.

2. approximate price: an assessment of the likely price of something such as an item to be bought or a job to be done

Their estimate is the lowest.

[Late 16th century. < Latin aestimare "estimate, assess"]

es·ti·ma·tive adjective

es·ti·ma·tor noun

Word Usage


	estimate or estimation? Broadly speaking, estimation refers to a thinking or valuing process and estimate to the result of such a process. An estimate of the time needed is the figure produced by working out how long something will take, whereas an estimation of the time needed is the calculation process that produces that figure. Estimation also has the meaning "judgment or opinion," which estimate does not have: What, in your estimation, is the cause of the problem?She went down in their estimation when the truth came out.