Estimation
Noun · Hacker Culture
Definitions
The act of forecasting how much time, effort, complexity, or uncertainty a task or project involves. In software culture estimation is useful, but only if people remember it is a forecast under uncertainty rather than a contract with physics.
In plain English: Forecasting the likely time, effort, or complexity of work.
Example: "The team improved estimation by writing down assumptions and risks instead of pretending every task could be pinned to one confident number."