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Mathematics vocabulary · Word Problems

Estimate

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈestɪmeɪt/verbCore term

In mathematics, estimate means: To find an approximate value quickly, usually by rounding the numbers first, so that you can check whether an exact answer is reasonable.

In Turkish: tahmin etmek, yaklaşık hesaplamak

How it is used

Questions say 'estimate the answer', 'give an estimate' or 'estimate by rounding each number to one significant figure'. The symbol ≈ means 'is approximately equal to'. Estimating is a useful check against calculator mistakes.

Example sentences

  1. Estimate 49 × 21 first: it should be about 1,000.

  2. Your estimate was 300, but the calculator says 3,000, so check where the decimal point is.

Common collocations

  • estimate the answer
  • rough estimate
  • give an estimate
  • estimate by rounding
  • roundTo replace a number with a simpler value close to it, to a given place value or number of decimal places; 3.476 rounded to one decimal place is 3.5.
  • decimal pointThe dot that separates the whole-number part of a number from its decimal part, as in 3.75; English uses a point where Turkish uses a comma.
  • averageA single value that represents a group of numbers, usually their total divided by how many there are; the average of 4, 6 and 11 is 7.
  • at leastNot less than a given number, so the true value may be equal to it or larger; 'at least 5' means 5 or more, written ≥ 5.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Word Problems

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