Estimado

Estimado is a word used in Spanish and Portuguese with several related meanings. As an adjective, it derives from estimar and shares two broad senses: a) numeric or quantitative, referring to something that has been estimated or is approximate (for example, costo estimado, población estimada); and b) relational or evaluative, describing something or someone valued, cherished, or esteemed, with gendered forms estimado (masculine) and estimada (feminine).

In addition, estimado is widely used as a salutation in formal written Spanish. In letters or emails, the masculine singular form Estimado is placed before the recipient’s name, e.g., Estimado Sr. García. The feminine Estimada is used to address a woman, and plural forms Estimados and Estimadas exist for groups. While everyday tone often favors simpler salutations, estimado remains a formal option; alternatives include Estimados señores and other greetings.

In Spanish, the word also appears in compound phrases such as costo estimado (estimated cost) or población estimada (estimated population).

In Portuguese, estimado similarly functions as the past participle of estimar, meaning 'esteemed' or 'valued,' as well as 'estimated' in numeric contexts. Its use as a direct letter salutation is less common in contemporary Brazilian Portuguese, where Prezado or Prezados are standard; estimado can appear in older texts or in highly formal registers.

Etymologically, estimado comes from estimar, which in turn derives from Latin aestimare, meaning to value or assess.