Word: estimable (adjective)

Associations

"Estimable" means worthy of respect or admiration. It is often used to describe people, qualities, or actions that deserve honor or high regard.

• Example 1: "She is an estimable scientist who has contributed a lot to medicine." Here, it means she deserves respect for her work.
• Example 2: "His estimable efforts helped the team win." This means his efforts were admirable and valuable.
• Example 3: "The estimable qualities of honesty and kindness are important in a friend." This shows the word can describe good traits. A similar word is "respectable," but "estimable" often implies a stronger or more formal level of respect, sometimes related to moral or intellectual qualities.

Substitution

You can replace "estimable" with:

• admirable (focuses on something worthy of admiration)
• honorable (focuses on moral goodness)
• respectable (focuses on being worthy of respect, often socially) Each word changes the tone slightly. For example, "admirable" is more about admiration, while "honorable" stresses ethics.

Deconstruction

The root is from Latin "aestimare," meaning "to value" or "to estimate." The suffix "-able" means "able to be." So, "estimable" literally means "able to be valued" or "worthy of value." This origin helps understand that "estimable" is about something or someone that can be highly valued or respected.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a person in your life who is estimable? Why do you respect them?
• How would you use "estimable" to describe a good quality in a book or movie character?
• Do you think "estimable" is used more often in formal or informal situations? Why?