estimate
n. countablen. a guess about the size, value, or cost of something based on the information you have. It is not an exact number, but it should be close to the truth.
n. an approximate calculation or judgement regarding the value, amount, or size of something. Often used in professional contexts to provide a preliminary cost or timeframe before work begins.
The builder gave us a free estimate for the new roof.
Based on current sales figures, our conservative estimate is that we will reach the target by December.
While the initial estimate suggested a modest recovery, subsequent data indicated that the economic downturn was far more systemic than analysts had first presumed.
From Middle English estimat, borrowed from Latin aestimātus (“valuing, estimate”, only used in the ablative singular: "aestimātū..." (in valuing...)), from aestimō + -tus (“action noun-forming suffix”).
Borrowed from Latin aestimātus, perfect passive participle of aestimō (“to estimate”) (see -ate), older form aestumō (“to value, rate, esteem”); from Old Latin *ais-temos (“one who cuts copper”), meaning one in the Roman Republic who mints money. Compare Middle English estymatt (“reputed”) / estimat. See also the doublet esteem, as well as aim.
From Latin aestimātus (“estimated”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 2 for more. Originally used as the past participle of estimate; compare generate or communicate.
Commonly takes the preposition 'of' when describing the subject matter or 'for' when referring to a specific project.