Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Estimate has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth
"an estimate of what it would cost"
"a rough idea how long it would take"
a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody
"many factors are involved in any estimate of human life"
"in my estimation the boy is innocent"
a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)
"The fire department sent an official estimate to determine how much the damaged house would cost to repair for the insurance claim."
a statement indicating the likely cost of some job
"he got an estimate from the car repair shop"
the respect with which a person is held
"they had a high estimation of his ability"
A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
"The contractor gave us a rough estimate for the total cost before starting the renovation."
In plain English: An estimate is a rough guess about how much something will cost or how long it will take to finish.
"The project manager gave us a rough estimate of how long the renovation would take."
Usage: Use "estimate" as a noun to refer to a rough calculation of cost, size, or time before a final figure is known. It often appears in phrases like "a cost estimate" or "my best estimate."
judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
"I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds"
To calculate roughly, often from imperfect data.
"After checking the scattered receipts, I can only estimate that our total spending for the trip was around five hundred dollars."
In plain English: To estimate means to make a guess about how much something costs, takes time, or is worth based on what you know so far.
"The teacher asked us to estimate how many candies were in the jar before we opened it."
Usage: Use "estimate" as a verb when you need to calculate or approximate a value based on incomplete information rather than exact measurement. It implies providing a rough figure that is close enough for practical purposes but not precise.
The word estimate comes from Middle English and originally entered English as a Latin term meaning "valuing." It traveled into modern usage to describe the act of calculating or judging the value of something.