Often, when you hear people discussing estimates, they may use the term ‘conservative’ estimate. A lot of people seem to believe that the use of ‘conservative’ is political. It isn’t. Let’s tell you exactly what it means.
What Is a ‘Conservative Estimate’?
When somebody says ‘conservative estimate’, it means that they are estimating toward the low side of things, almost as if they are underselling. It is likely that the real figure (i.e. the non-estimated figure), is higher than the conservative estimate.
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, a conservative estimate is:
“A conservative guess or calculation is likely to be less than the real amount”
Some people like to see a ‘conservative estimate’ as being very cautious. It is likely those that are giving a ‘conservative estimate’ know that they are wrong, but they don’t want to go too high, perhaps because they are not completely sure about something, or they do not want to give somebody false expectations.
If you ever hear somebody use the term ‘conservative estimate’, then you can expect whatever the real figure is to be much higher than the number that they are giving you.
Is a ‘Conservative Estimate’ High or Low?
When a ‘conservative estimate’ is given, it means that a person is being very cautious in their estimation. In most cases, this means that the number given is on the ‘low’ side. In rare cases, a conservative estimate can be higher e.g. estimating the number of people for a project.
For the most part, ‘conservative estimate’ will always be used when you are estimating on the lower side of things. If you did want to use it for ‘overestimation’ then it is often used in the context of time (when you overestimate how much time you need), or the number of people required for a task (when you overestimate how many you require). Although, it is very rarely used in that context.
You should be able to work out, from context, whether the ‘conservative estimate’ is low or high.
Examples of ‘Conservative Estimates’
If you read the news, you will no doubt see countless news stories that mention ‘conservative estimates’. We have decided to pluck a few examples from the news, to show you how the term has been used.
Remember, when ‘conservative estimate’ is used, it almost always means that a person is underestimating the reality of the situation:
- 10% GDP growth a conservative estimate.
- At a conservative estimate, people around the world are consuming a credit card’s-worth of microplastic every week.
- The group says a conservative estimate suggests between 57,000 and 78,000….are experiencing long COVID symptoms.
There are many reasons why those would use a conservative estimate rather than estimating much higher. These headlines show that. In some cases, it is because they do not want their stats to be ‘wrong’. In other cases, it is because they want there to be a bit of a surprise when real figures are announced.
How To Use ‘Conservative Estimate’ In a Sentence
If you use ‘conservative estimate’, it will almost always be when you are discussing figures. Here are a few examples of how you can use ‘conservative estimate’ in a sentence. However, we encourage you to read the news too. You will see the term used a lot.
- $1,000 to complete the roof repair job is a conservative estimate.
- As a conservative estimate, it would take 10 people to complete the project.
- A conservative estimate is that it will take me 10-minutes to complete the job.
- House prices rising by 20% over the next year is a conservative estimate.
‘Conservative Estimate’ – Synonyms
There are a few synonyms for ‘conservative estimate’, or they are close to being synonyms. Because the use of ‘conservative estimate’ can change based on context, these cannot always be used. Think about what you are trying to say before you use a certain synonym:
- At least
- At the minimum
- On the lower end of things
- Lowest estimate
- No less than
- Cautious estimate
‘Conservative Estimate – Antonyms
If you want to say the opposite of ‘conservative estimate’ then you can use any of these antonyms:
- Realistic estimate
- Liberal estimate (when you are greatly overestimating)
- Precise estimate
- Reasonable estimate
- Overestimation
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
