Guesswork: meaning, definitions and examples
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guesswork
[ ˈɡɛsˌwɜrk ]
making choices
Guesswork refers to the process of making a decision or forming an opinion based on conjecture or estimation rather than knowledge or evidence. It often implies a lack of accurate information and relies on intuition or chance.
Synonyms
conjecture, estimation, hypothesis, speculation
Examples of usage
- His guesswork on the project led to several mistakes.
- The results of the experiment were based on guesswork.
- In the absence of data, they had to rely on guesswork.
Translations
Translations of the word "guesswork" in other languages:
🇵🇹 conjetura
🇮🇳 अंदाज़ा
🇩🇪 Vermutung
🇮🇩 teka-teki
🇺🇦 здогадка
🇵🇱 domysł
🇯🇵 推測
🇫🇷 conjecture
🇪🇸 suposición
🇹🇷 tahmin
🇰🇷 추측
🇸🇦 تخمين
🇨🇿 domněnka
🇸🇰 domnienka
🇨🇳 猜测
🇸🇮 domneva
🇮🇸 gisk
🇰🇿 болжам
🇬🇪 დააზუსტება
🇦🇿 təhmin
🇲🇽 suposición
Etymology
The term 'guesswork' is derived from the combination of the words 'guess' and 'work'. The word 'guess' originated in the late Middle English period, around the 14th century, from the Old Norse word 'gá', meaning to 'to give an estimate or conjecture'. 'Work' has roots in the Old English 'wyrcan', meaning 'to create or produce'. The modern combination word 'guesswork' began to be used in English around the 19th century, emphasizing the idea of an attempt to derive conclusions or solutions without the benefit of complete knowledge or data. Over time, 'guesswork' has taken on additional connotations, particularly in relation to scientific and analytical discussions where empirical evidence is preferred, but sometimes anecdotal evidence or intuition is all that is available.