back-of-the-envelope
adjective
: done quickly to provide a rough estimate : not exact
did a back-of-the-envelope calculation
His method is, in effect, a back-of-the-envelope time-and-motion study.—
Ian Stewart
Ian StewartExamples of back-of-the-envelope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The economist Robin Hanson’s back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that twenty-third-century America will be dominated by three hundred million Amish people.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
All of which is another way to say our back-of-the-envelope math is an attempt to provide fans with a reasonable assessment of the situation for both conferences.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025
With that back-of-the-envelope math in mind, NBCUniversal greenlit the film for Peacock in the U.S. and a theatrical release in the rest of the world.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
To the contrary, the vast, vast, vast majority of rides are without incident, and though there’s no rigorous way to compare underground to above ground, a back-of-the-envelope analysis suggests the former is actually safer than the latter.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
The remaining amount — somewhere around $500 million, based on my back-of-the-envelope calculation — deserves careful scrutiny.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 2024
Our back-of-the-envelope analysis puts the median age of the cable MNF base at around 48 years, while ABC’s is about 57 years.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Dec. 2024
At a price of $30 per month per user, back-of-the-envelope math equates to $3.6 million annually for 10,000 employees.
—Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024
Precise figures are tricky to obtain but, according to a back-of-the-envelope calculation by Inogwabini, just a few dozen of the perhaps 300 scientists publishing on conservation topics related to the Congo Basin are from the DRC itself.
—Byemmet Livingstone, science.org, 3 Oct. 2024
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
All of which is another way to say our back-of-the-envelope math is an attempt to provide fans with a reasonable assessment of the situation for both conferences.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025
With that back-of-the-envelope math in mind, NBCUniversal greenlit the film for Peacock in the U.S. and a theatrical release in the rest of the world.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
To the contrary, the vast, vast, vast majority of rides are without incident, and though there’s no rigorous way to compare underground to above ground, a back-of-the-envelope analysis suggests the former is actually safer than the latter.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
The remaining amount — somewhere around $500 million, based on my back-of-the-envelope calculation — deserves careful scrutiny.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 6 Dec. 2024
Our back-of-the-envelope analysis puts the median age of the cable MNF base at around 48 years, while ABC’s is about 57 years.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Dec. 2024
At a price of $30 per month per user, back-of-the-envelope math equates to $3.6 million annually for 10,000 employees.
—Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024
Precise figures are tricky to obtain but, according to a back-of-the-envelope calculation by Inogwabini, just a few dozen of the perhaps 300 scientists publishing on conservation topics related to the Congo Basin are from the DRC itself.
—Byemmet Livingstone, science.org, 3 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Back-of-the-envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-of-the-envelope. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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