misestimate

[ verb mis-es-tuh-meyt; noun mis-es-tuh-mit ]

verb (used with object)

, mis·es·ti·mat·ed, mis·es·ti·mat·ing.

1. to estimate wrongly or inadequately.

noun

1. a wrong or inadequate estimate.

Other Words From

• mis·esti·mation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of misestimate¹

First recorded in 1835–45; mis- ¹ + estimate

Example Sentences

The original warning came five days in advance but misestimated the location of the landfall by 250 miles.

From Salon

Also, insurers appear to have initially misestimated the mix of people — healthy and sick — who would sign up through the marketplaces, which resulted in their costs rising higher than they anticipated.

From Washington Post

Many of the first-year sites were in high-poverty neighborhoods — and that could be one reason for the misestimate, he said.

From Seattle Times

UnitedHealth Group warned nearly two months ago that new customers from the Affordable Care Act exchanges would hurt the insurer’s bottom line, but it looks like it misestimated by how much as enrollments exceeded expectations.

From Time

"The underwriters misestimated what the market was willing to pay."

From Los Angeles Times