noun , verb
■ noun / ˈestɪmət; NAmE /
1.
a judgement that you make without having the exact details or figures about the size, amount, cost, etc. of sth :
I can give you a rough estimate of the amount of wood you will need.
a ballpark estimate (= an approximate estimate)
official government estimates of traffic growth over the next decade
At least 5 000 people were killed, and that's a conservative estimate (= the real figure will be higher) .
2.
a statement of how much a piece of work will probably cost
■ verb
/ ˈestɪmeɪt/ [ often passive ] estimate sth (at sth) to form an idea of the cost, size, value etc. of sth, but without calculating it exactly :
[ vn ]
The satellite will cost an estimated £400 million.
Police estimate the crowd at 30 000.
[ vn to inf ]
The deal is estimated to be worth around $1.5 million.
[ v ( that )]
We estimated (that) it would cost about €5 000.
[ vn ( that )]
It is estimated (that) the project will last four years.
[ v wh- ]
It is hard to estimate how many children suffer from dyslexia.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin aestimat- determined, appraised, from the verb aestimare . The noun originally meant intellectual ability, comprehension (only in late Middle English), later valuing, a valuation (compare with estimation ). The verb originally meant to think well or badly of someone or something (late 15th cent.), later regard as being, consider to be (compare with esteem ).