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

Examples of back-of-the-envelope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Doing some quick back-of-the-envelope math on the President’s numbers - 200 ships and 100 million barrels of oil - implies about 500,000 barrels of oil per ship. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 11 June 2026 Now borrow Virginia’s price and lay it over Pennsylvania’s pipeline, as a back-of-the-envelope test rather than an official figure. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026 My back-of-the-envelope reckoning shows that at present, with more partisan changes likely, Republicans across the South from Texas to South Carolina and Florida are projected to capture 83 congressional seats to 22 for Democrats. — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2026 By my back-of-the-envelope calculation, under this system the overall federal rate on a taxable income of $1 million would come to a rate of about 29%. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for back-of-the-envelope

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-of-the-envelope was in 1968

Rhymes for back-of-the-envelope

See All Rhymes for back-of-the-envelope

Browse Nearby Words

back of one's mind
back-of-the-envelope
back-order
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back-of-the-envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-of-the-envelope. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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