estimator.

1. A function or rule that uses sample data to estimate a population quantity.

2. A person who calculates likely costs, quantities, or values before work or expenditure begins.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• unbiased estimator
• consistent estimator
• maximum-likelihood estimator

On the page

The team compared two estimators of the population mean using simulated samples.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal / analytical. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Singular estimator; plural estimators. Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Dictionary and Statlect distinguish a statistical function from a person estimating quantities. Dictionary also cross-references an estimate-value use; that scope is flagged for review, not silently collapsed into the procedure sense. Writing functions: statistical reasoning, methodological precision.