estate
English meaning: Estate
Definition
The collective property and liabilities of someone, especially a deceased person.
Example
“The duke inherited a vast country estate in Scotland.”
Another example: “After her death, the lawyers spent months settling her estate.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Several senses: a large area of owned land, often with a grand house ('a country estate'); a residential development ('a housing estate', mainly UK); all the property a person leaves at death; and a social class ('the third estate'). Common in property, law and history.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old French 'estat' (state, condition), from Latin 'status'; entered English in the 13th century, with the 'landed property' sense developing later.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- real estate
- housing estate
- country estate
- estate agent
- personal estate
- industrial estate
Word Forms
estate (n); estates (pl.)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B