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ballpark figure

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ballpark figure

An approximate number; an estimate. Do you have a ballpark figure for the cost of the renovations? That's just a ballpark figure—they don't know exactly how many people will be attending the event.

See also: ballpark, figure

ballpark figure

Fig. an estimate; an off-the-cuff guess. I don't need an exact number. A ballpark figure will do.

See also: ballpark, figure

ballpark figure

An acceptable, roughly accurate approximation, as in I know you can't tell me the exact cost; just give me a ballpark figure. This term alludes to a baseball field, which is always an enclosed space. The expression is basically an extension of the somewhat earlier in the ballpark, meaning within a reasonable range, and out of the ballpark, beyond a reasonable range. [Slang; late 1960s]

See also: ballpark, figure