Estimate Meaning
/ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
nounA rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something., A document (or verbal notification) specifying how much a job is likely to cost.
Sentence Examples
Try to estimate how much you spent on books.
It will cost thirty thousand yen at the lowest estimate.
The contractor provided a detailed estimate for the kitchen renovation cost.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The contractor will ____ the total cost of the renovation next Tuesday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The contractor provided a rough ____ of the cost for the kitchen renovation.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“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!:
"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:
"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:
"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 History:
"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:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The contractor will ____ the total cost of the renovation next Tuesday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The contractor provided a rough ____ of the cost for the kitchen renovation.