Esteem and Estimate Are the Same Word
Esteem is respect. It comes from the Latin verb meaning to appraise, which also gave English estimate.
Esteem is respect and admiration. It is the same Latin verb as *estimate*: *aestimare* meant to appraise or assign value. Esteem came through French and kept the emotional sense, estimate came straight from Latin and kept the numerical one. To hold someone in high esteem is to value them highly, quite literally.
- Respect. *Held in high esteem.*
- To respect. *I esteem her judgement.*
- Self-esteem — regard for oneself. *Low self-esteem.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | esteem | Public esteem. |
| Verb | esteem | Highly esteemed. |
| Adjective | estimable | An estimable colleague. |
| Related | estimate | A rough estimate. |
| Compound | self-esteem | Building self-esteem. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He is held in high esteem.Widely respected.
- An estimable achievement.Worthy of esteem, not merely measurable.
- Self-esteem is a psychological term.Regard for one's own worth.
Words from *aestimare*
- Esteem — to value highly
- Estimate — to assess a quantity
- Estimable — worthy of esteem
- Inestimable — too valuable to measure
- Aim — through Old French, from a related sense of calculating
From Old French *estimer*, from Latin *aestimare*, to appraise or value. English borrowed the same verb twice.
Estimable or estimated?
Estimable means worthy of respect. Estimated means calculated approximately. The two are easily confused.
What does inestimable mean?
Too great to be measured or calculated, and therefore extremely valuable.