extrapolate
extrapolate Lexical Profile
extrapolate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To extend the application of a method or conclusion to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable.
"It is risky to extrapolate future economic growth from a single quarter of strong performance."
To estimate or calculate a value or quantity beyond the original observation range on the basis of its relationship with another variable (in mathematics and statistics).
"The researchers extrapolated the population figures for the next decade using census data from the past thirty years."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'extrapolate' with 'interpolate': 'extrapolate' means to project or estimate values beyond a known range of data, whereas 'interpolate' means to estimate values that fall between known data points.
• Rhymes for extrapolate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-19th century as a mathematical term by combining the Latin prefix extra- ('outside') with the ending of 'interpolate' (from Latin interpolare, 'to refurbish or alter').