Word family noun estimate estimation estimator overestimate ≠ underestimate adjective estimated verb estimate overestimate ≠ underestimate
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishestimatees‧ti‧mate1 /ˈestəmət/ ●●○ W2 AWL noun [countable] 1 CAREFULa calculation of the value, size, amount etc of something made using the information that you have, which may not be complete We just need an estimate of the number of people who will come.2 COUNT/CALCULATEa statement of how much it will probably cost to build or repair somethingestimate for The garage said they’d send me an estimate for the work.COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbsmake an estimateInsurers have to make an estimate of the risk involved.give an estimateThe builder gave me an estimate of £10,000.provide (somebody with) an estimateCould you ask him if he can provide us with an estimate?put an estimate on something (=say the amount that you think something is)It is impossible to put an estimate on the value of the manuscript.an estimate puts something at somethingIndependent estimates put the number of refugees at 50,000.base an estimate on something (=use something as information to give an estimate)The government based its estimate on data from the 2008 census.adjectivesa rough/approximate estimate (=not exact)Can you give me a rough estimate of how much the repairs will cost?an accurate/reliable estimate (=fairly exact)It’s hard to put an accurate estimate on the number of people affected.a conservative estimate (=deliberately low)By conservative estimates, 2.5 million people die each year from smoking cigarettes.an official estimate (=accepted by people in authority)According to official army estimates, more than 500 rebels had been killed.current/recent estimates (=ones that are accepted now)According to current estimates, the country can expect 200,000 visitors in the next three years.the latest estimates (=the most recent ones)The latest estimates are that sea levels could rise by about 20 cm by 2050.earlier/previous estimatesThese amounts are much higher than those given in previous estimates.the original estimate (=the one given at the beginning of a process)The final cost was nearly three times the original estimate.phrasesaccording to an estimateAccording to some estimates, an acre of forest is cleared every minute.estimates range/vary from ... to ...Estimates of the number of homeless people in the city range from 6,000 to 10,000.Examples from the Corpus
estimate• I'm allowing $300, but that's only an estimate.• This leads immediately to an estimate of about 360,000 heavily employed trainers needed in addition to school, college and tertiary education staff.• I've asked the builders to give us an estimate for fixing the roof.• Q: Could you give us an estimate as to how many people were in the ditch?• December sales will put earnings for the fourth quarter and all of fiscal 1996 below Wall Street analysts' estimates.• The paintings have been valued at $3.5 million, which is probably a conservative estimate.• We're predicting a 10% rise in oil prices -- and that's a conservative estimate.• According to a government estimate, the number of refugees is at least 18 million.• A number of estimates have been made of the effects of regional policy in terms of new jobs created directly and indirectly.• Lovech was open from 1959 until April 1962 and interned 12,035, people according to official estimates.• The final cost was £2000 higher than the original estimate.• At a rough estimate, staff are recycling less than a quarter of the paper we buy.• These are the figures, but they're only a rough estimate.• This proposal represents a rough estimate of the cost of materials and labor.• Officials said Huntcor's estimate of building costs was about $3 million more than expected.• According to some estimates, almost two thirds of the city has been destroyed by the earthquake.• But outside observers have been sharply scaling back their estimates.• This was done by giving subjects a maximum number of accidents which their estimates could not exceed.• We got two or three estimates on the car.• With estimates as high as $ 200 billion, this is a very important question.estimatees‧ti‧mate2 /ˈestɪmeɪt/ ●●○ S3 W2 AWL verb [transitive] GUESSto try to judge the value, size, speed, cost etc of something, without calculating it exactlybe estimated to be/have/cost etc The tree is estimated to be at least 700 years old.estimate something at something Organizers estimated the crowd at 50,000.estimate that Scientists estimate that smoking reduces life expectancy by around 12 years on average.estimate how many/what etc It is not easy to estimate how many people have the disease.RegisterIn everyday English, people often say put something at an amount rather than estimate something at:The damage was put at thousands of dollars.GrammarIn more formal English, you say it is estimated that something is true: It is estimated that the statue weighs 60 tons. —estimated adjective heroin with an estimated street value of £50,000 —estimator noun [countable]→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
estimate• Up to 60,000 temporary jobs are expected to pump an estimated $ 2 billion in wages into the local economy.• The real amount at risk is perhaps only 1 percent to 1. 5 percent of the notional figure, bankers estimate.• His personal fortune is estimated at £150 million.• Can you estimate how much fabric you will need for the curtains?• Our staff will help you estimate how much fabric you will require.• The committee did not estimate how much such a program would cost.• Analysts estimate sales could reach $ 300 million a year once regulatory hurdles are cleared and full marketing gets under way.• Lambert said the state has estimated that 75,000 Texas families are educating their children at home.• He estimates that between 35- 41 percent of all useful land is affected by erosion.• Police estimate that over 10,000 people took part in the demonstration.• The police department estimates that the number of violent crimes will increase this year by about 15%.• Analysts estimate the business earned about $135 million last year.• The mechanic estimated the cost of repairs at $350.• At moderate speeds, Wade estimated, the topped-off tanks gave him a two-hundred-mile cruising range.• Industry sources estimate the value of the ranch at $7 million.• Ultimately biliary cirrhosis results and the median survival has been estimated to be 12 years.• At that point, the public sector deficit was estimated to be around £45 billion.• As much as £750,000 extra in investment from Manchester and other northern councils was estimated to be available if the paper moved.be estimated to be/have/cost etc• Microsoft is estimated to be targeting the 50 million or so potential users of the Windows operating system.• School attendance for the age group seven to eleven years is estimated to be 40 percent.• The cost per day of medical, nursing, and hotel services on a ward was estimated to be £128.• The income from farming in Northern Ireland in 1992 is estimated to have amounted to £224.2m.• In 1987,2.2 million people over pension age are estimated to have had incomes below the level of Income Support.• Shining Path, which once was estimated to have more than 5,000 armed guerrillas, also is diminished.• This year, another 135,950 Californians are estimated to be diagnosed as having the disease.From Longman Business Dictionaryestimatees‧ti‧mate1 /ˈestəmət/ noun [countable]1a calculation of what the value, size, amount etc of something will probably beThey were able to give us a rough estimate (=a not very exact one) of the cost.Even the most conservative estimates (=deliberately low) suggest we need to build one million new homes.2a statement of how much it will probably cost to build or repair somethingSYNQUOTATION, QUOTEGet several estimates before starting any building work.Nuclear power stations are notoriously unreliable and construction costs go way over original estimates.estimatees‧ti‧mate2 /ˈestɪmeɪt/ verb [intransitive, transitive] to calculate what you think the value, size, amount etc of something is or will probably beOfficials estimate that supply has exceeded demand by £7.5 billion since the beginning of 2005.The value of the deal is estimated at £12 million.→ See Verb tableOrigin estimate2 (1500-1600) Latin past participle of aestimare “to think important” 