ballpark

1 of 3

noun

ball·​park ˈbȯl-ˌpärk How to pronounce ballpark (audio)
1
: a park or stadium in which ball games (such as baseball) are played
2
: a range (as of prices or views) within which comparison or compromise is possible

ballpark

2 of 3

adjective

: approximately correct : roughly estimated
a ballpark price
a ballpark figure

ballpark

3 of 3

verb

ballparked; ballparking; ballparks

transitive verb

informal
: to estimate (something) roughly or casually : to give a ballpark estimate of (something, such as a number or price)
The track doesn't release attendance numbers, but media members ballparked it at 42,500 in the facility, which seats more than 50,000.Michael Phillips
When I work with clients I remind them that we are just ballparking the numbers.Bill Conerly
He looked at the ceiling. He looked at the walls. He turned this way and that, craning his neck, like a contractor about to ballpark an estimate.Lee Child
Phrases
in the ballpark
: approximately correct
my first guess wasn't even in the ballpark

Examples of ballpark in a Sentence

Noun hit a home run out of the ballpark Adjective We don't know exactly how many people live in this city, but a ballpark figure would be about two million. I suspect that the ballpark costs we were quoted for the kitchen renovation will turn out to be too low.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Yankees kept him in the ballpark in Game 5, but could not stop Freeman from claiming his first-ever World Series MVP award. Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 As the Browns orient toward moving to Brook Park, Cleveland’s downtown will continue to host major professional sports teams at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home arena of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and Progressive Field, home ballpark of MLB’s Cleveland Guardians. Lee Igel, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Property owners can get a ballpark sense of their tax liability related to a bond or override by reading their school district's voter information. Renata Cló, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2022 Then enjoy a ballpark-style hot dog or cheeseburger lunch in right-center field on Bayview Terrace for $20 adults and $15 for children. Laura Groch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2022
Verb
These systems come in different shapes, sizes and configurations, but May ballparks the average cost of one suited to a single-family home or an ADU like Ferrari’s at $8,000 to $10,000. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 That dividing line is tough to pinpoint in real time, but the Fed uses models based on past data to ballpark it. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ballpark 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ballpark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the phrase in the ballpark

First Known Use

Noun

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1960, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballpark was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near ballpark

Cite this Entry

“Ballpark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballpark. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ballpark

1 of 2 noun
ball·​park
ˈbȯl-ˌpärk
: a park in which ball games are played

ballpark

2 of 2 adjective
: approximately correct
a ballpark figure
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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