SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
extrapolate
verb
To estimate beyond known observations by extending a pattern or relationship.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Extend beyond observed data
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topExtrapolation extends beyond observed values. Interpolation estimates within their range and is not interchangeable.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The extrapolate family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
extrapolationnoun
An inference or projection extending beyond known information.
An inference or projection extending beyond known information
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The forecast was an extrapolation from a limited set of observations.
She warned that the extrapolation depended on assumptions that might change.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See extrapolate in use
The analyst was cautious about trying to extrapolate from such a short record.
A library group considered a hypothetical plan to extend a small reading event into a full weekend program. Their attendance forecast was conjectural because it rested on only two earlier evenings and several untested assumptions about interest. One member wanted to extrapolate a weekend total from the average turnout at those evenings.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license