Idiom of the Day

a ballpark figure | a ballpark estimate

Today: Wed, 18 Jul 2018

Meaning:

If you give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate, you give a number which you think is fairly close to the actual one.

For example:

We don't know the exact cost, but a ballpark figure would be around six million dollars.
I know you can't tell me exactly when it'll be finished, but can you give me a ballpark estimate?

Origin: From baseball, and probably having a history similar to that of the idiom "in the same ballpark" which means "approximately the same amount".

Variety: This idiom is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

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Quick Quiz

She gave us a ballpark figure for the cost because she