n.
Pronunciation: ' es-t ə - ˌ m ā t
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: -mat · ed ; -mat · ing
Etymology: Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare to value, estimate
Date: circa 1532
1 archaic a : ESTEEM b : APPRAISE
2 a : to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of b : to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of c : to produce a statement of the approximate cost of
3 : JUDGE , CONCLUDE
– es · ti · ma · tive \ - ˌ m ā -tiv \ adjective
synonyms ESTIMATE , APPRAISE , EVALUATE , VALUE , RATE , ASSESS mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance. ESTIMATE implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out < estimated the crowd at two hundred>. APPRAISE commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment <having their house appraised >. EVALUATE suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary < evaluate a student's work>. VALUE equals APPRAISE but without implying expertness of judgment <a watercolor valued by the donor at $500>. RATE adds to ESTIMATE the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values <a highly rated restaurant>. ASSESS implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action <officials are trying to assess the damage>.