ENGLISH
REFERENCE

est

adj.
US //ˈɛst// est
  1. 1 established (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a short way to write 'established', often used to show when a business or group started.

    an abbreviation for 'established', typically used in commercial or institutional contexts to denote the date of founding.

    Example

    The sign above the bakery door said 'Est. 1924'.

    Example

    The corporate letterhead proudly displayed 'Est. 1885', emphasizing the firm's long-standing reputation in the local community.

    Usage

    Usually written with a capital 'E' and followed by a period and a year.
Origin

From Middle English este, from Old English ēst (“will, consent, favour”), from Proto-West Germanic ansti, from Proto-Germanic anstiz (“favour, affection”), from Proto-Indo-European ān- (“to notice; face, mouth”) or from h₃neh₂- (“to bestow, offer, help; to enjoy”). Cognate with Icelandic ást (“affection, love”), Dutch gunst (“favour, grace, courtesy, privilege”), German Gunst (“favour, goodwill, boon”), Danish yndest (“favour”), Swedish ynnest (“favour, indulgence, grace”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms1 entry
Related words

Last updated June 19, 2026