Library / English Dictionary

ESTIMATE

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A judgment of the qualities of something or somebody

Example:

in my estimation the boy is innocent

Synonyms:

estimate; estimation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("estimate" is a kind of...):

assessment; judgement; judgment (the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "estimate"):

appraisal (an expert estimation of the quality, quantity, and other characteristics of someone or something)

capitalisation; capitalization (an estimation of the value of a business)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth

Example:

a rough idea how long it would take

Synonyms:

approximation; estimate; estimation; idea

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("estimate" is a kind of...):

calculation; computation; figuring; reckoning (problem solving that involves numbers or quantities)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "estimate"):

scalage (estimation of the amount of lumber in a log)

credit; credit rating (an estimate, based on previous dealings, of a person's or an organization's ability to fulfill their financial commitments)

dead reckoning; guess; guessing; guesswork; shot (an estimate based on little or no information)

guesstimate; guestimate (an estimate that combines reasoning with guessing)

overestimate; overestimation; overrating; overreckoning (a calculation that results in an estimate that is too high)

underestimate; underestimation; underrating; underreckoning (an estimation that is too low; an estimate that is less than the true or actual value)

Derivation:

estimate (judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time))

Sense 3

Meaning:

The respect with which a person is held

Example:

they had a high estimation of his ability

Synonyms:

estimate; estimation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("estimate" is a kind of...):

esteem; regard; respect (an attitude of admiration or esteem)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "estimate"):

report; reputation (the general estimation that the public has for a person)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation)

Synonyms:

appraisal; estimate; estimation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("estimate" is a kind of...):

commercial document; commercial instrument (a document of or relating to commerce)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "estimate"):

overappraisal; overestimate; overestimation; overvaluation (an appraisal that is too high)

Derivation:

estimate (judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time))

Sense 5

Meaning:

A statement indicating the likely cost of some job

Example:

he got an estimate from the car repair shop

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("estimate" is a kind of...):

statement (a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc)

Derivation:

estimate (judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)

Example:

I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds

Synonyms:

approximate; estimate; gauge; guess; judge

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "estimate" is one way to...):

calculate; cipher; compute; cypher; figure; reckon; work out (make a mathematical calculation or computation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "estimate"):

guesstimate (estimate based on a calculation)

truncate (approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one)

count; reckon (take account of)

make (calculate as being)

assess (estimate the value of (property) for taxation)

lowball; underestimate (make a deliberately low estimate)

give (estimate the duration or outcome of something)

place; put; set (estimate)

misgauge (gauge something incorrectly or improperly)

quantise; quantize (approximate (a signal varying continuously in amplitude) by one whose amplitude is restricted to a prescribed set of discrete values)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Also:

overestimate (make too high an estimate of)

underestimate (make a deliberately low estimate)

Derivation:

estimate (an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth)

estimate (a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation))

estimate (a statement indicating the likely cost of some job)

estimation (a judgment of the qualities of something or somebody)

estimation (an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth)

estimation (a document appraising the value of something (as for insurance or taxation))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Judge to be probable

Synonyms:

calculate; count on; estimate; figure; forecast; reckon

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "estimate" is one way to...):

evaluate; judge; pass judgment (form a critical opinion of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "estimate"):

allow; take into account (allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

estimator (an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines))

Credits

 Context examples: 

The scientists estimated that roughly 150 million people might be at risk of protein or zinc deficiency by 2050.

(Planet-Warming Gases Make Some Food Less Nutritious, Study Says, Steve Baragona/VOA)

In the end, an estimated one-to-two hundred people showed up at the gates, and the classified area was not stormed.

(Millions don't turn up to 'storm' US airbase for extraterrestrial evidence, Wikinews)

Current global vegetation models have faced challenges in producing consistent estimates of plant CO2 uptake, scientists say.

(What's killing trees during droughts?, National Science Foundation)

A German company has already developed a prototype of the technology, which means that within an estimated two years more people will be able to use it.

(World's Fastest Film Camera, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Dead zones are a major water quality issue with an estimated total of more than 550 occurring annually worldwide.

(2015 Gulf of Mexico dead zone ‘above average’, NOAA)

The team believes these new models help us gain a better understanding of Yellowstone's plumbing system, and may lead to improved estimates of the potential future seismic and volcanic hazards.

(Yellowstone magma discovery, NSF)

A study estimated that the dark spots appear every four to six years at different latitudes and disappear after about two years.

(Hubble Reveals Dynamic Atmospheres of Uranus, Neptune, NASA)

These IMERG estimates indicate that rainfall totals greater than 180 mm (seven inches) occurred in this area where the Seine River flows toward Paris.

(France's Flooding Rains Examined by NASA’s IMERG, NASA)

MistNet also allows researchers to estimate flying velocity and traffic rates of migrating birds.

(Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations, National Science Foundation)

Researchers estimated prices of 657 standardised food products using the 2011 International Comparison Program survey that focused on 176 countries.

(High cost of healthy food to blame for malnutrition, SciDev.Net)