estimate

n.

1. An appraisal of the value of something

   evaluation, assessment, appraisal, estimation, valuation, appraisement, calculation, gauging, rating, assay, survey, measure, mensuration, reckoning; see also judgment 2.

2. Opinion

   judgment, appraisal, estimation, view; see judgment 3.

3. A considered guess

   approximation, estimation, educated guess, guesstimate*; see guess.

estimate

v.

1. To make a rough or tentative appraisal

   appraise, approximate, rate, value, evaluate, count, number, reckon, guess, judge, gauge, figure, measure, calculate, figure costs, assess, assay, account, compute, prepare an estimate, furnish an estimate, set a value on, set a figure, budget, prepare a budget, do the cost accounting, get figures for, guesstimate*, give a ballpark figure*; see also calculate 1.

   Antonyms check, measure*, verify. *

2. To form an opinion about

   consider, reckon, figure, evaluate, appraise, suspect, predict, suppose, prophesy, reason, think, expect, regard, judge, deem, view, rate, class, rank, look upon, surmise, conjecture, determine, decide, conclude, size up*.

estimate, in this comparison, refers broadly to the forming of a personal opinion or judgment; appraise implies the aim of giving an accurate or expert judgment, as of value or worth to appraise a new house; evaluate also connotes an attempt at an exact judgment, but rarely with reference to value in terms of money let us evaluate the evidence; rate implies assignment of comparative value, quality, etc. he is rated the best in his field See also syn. study at calculate.