estate

[ ih-steyt ]

noun

1. a piece of landed property, especially one of large extent with an elaborate house on it:

   to have an estate in the country.

2. Law.
   1. property or possessions.
   2. the legal position or status of an owner, considered with respect to property owned in land or other things.
   3. the degree or quantity of interest that a person has in land with respect to the nature of the right, its duration, or its relation to the rights of others.
   4. interest, ownership, or property in land or other things.
   5. the property of a deceased person, a bankrupt, etc., viewed as an aggregate.
3. British. a housing development.
4. a period or condition of life:

   to attain to man's estate.

5. a major political or social group or class, especially one once having specific political powers, as the clergy, nobles, and commons in France or the lords spiritual, lords temporal, and commons in England.
6. condition or circumstances with reference to worldly prosperity, estimation, etc.; social status or rank.
7. Obsolete. pomp or state.
8. Obsolete. high social status or rank.

verb (used with object)

, es·tat·ed, es·tat·ing.

1. Obsolete. to establish in or as in an estate.

estate

/ ɪˈsteɪt /

noun

1. a large piece of landed property, esp in the country
2. a large area of property development, esp of new houses or ( trading estate ) of factories
3. property law
   1. property or possessions
   2. the nature of interest that a person has in land or other property, esp in relation to the right of others
   3. the total extent of the real and personal property of a deceased person or bankrupt
4. Also calledestate of the realm an order or class of persons in a political community, regarded collectively as a part of the body politic: usually regarded as being the lords temporal (peers), lords spiritual, and commons See also States General fourth estate
5. state, period, or position in life, esp with regard to wealth or social standing

   youth's estate

   a poor man's estate

Word History and Origins

Origin of estate¹

1175–1225; Middle English estat < Middle French; cognate with Provençal estat. See state

Word History and Origins

Origin of estate¹

C13: from Old French estat, from Latin status condition, state

Synonym Study

See property.

Example Sentences

A man who killed a woman and was suspected of murdering missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh died in prison of natural causes, an inquest has heard.

From BBC

The Agua Caliente were unable to develop their land until the late 1950s due to federal laws, according to the city, so tribal landowners leased plots to Black and Latino workers who were excluded from much of the rest of the city by racist real estate covenants and lending practices.

From Los Angeles Times

It said it hoped they are also looking at "every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice", including the police "or the Fayed family and estate".

From BBC

After Kalkhoven died in 2022, his estate put its 50% stake in the race up for sale and Forsythe bought it last March, promising to keep it an IndyCar event while also preparing to sell.

From Los Angeles Times

We are long overdue for a reintroduction of the guidelines that offered some degree of trust in the fourth estate.

From Salon

Related Words

• area
• farm
• parcel
• plantation
• ranch
• residence