opposite of a "conservative estimate?" (2025)

What would be the opposite of a "conservative estimate?" for business, such as an estimate about the revenue going down 30% due to stronger dollar, in business.

The opposite estimate will be the revenue going down only 2-3%.

An "aggressive/radical estimate?"

Thank you.

I'm not clear that I would use the word conservative for the first estimate, Mikichan.

The adjective serves at least two potential functions: 1. to comment on the accuracy of the estimate. 2. to comment on the desirability or otherwise of the future it suggests.

Which do you wish to look at in particular?

Thank you Thomas.

I think sometimes the phrase "conservative estimate" is used in business to mean "an estimate made with realistic but a bit pessimistic view, possibly close to or a mild version of the worst case senario, meaning, not too much wishful thinking."

So, to ask someone "Is that a conservative estimate?" means, "It is possible that it turns to out to be that bad, but there is more chance that things will not be that bad, correct?"

So, to answer your question, it can be 1, and 2, I guess, but not sure if that is what you meant by "accuracy" and "desirability or otherwise." I could not understand you fully.

Thank you.

The definition of conservative estimate:

lower than what is probably the real amount or number

Depending on the context, you can use optimistic estimate , pessimistic estimate, precise estimate, realistic estimate, and reasonable estimate.

farhad_persona said:

The definition of conservative estimate:

lower than what is probably the real amount or number

Depending on the context, you can use optimistic estimate , pessimistic estimate, precise estimate, realistic estimate, and reasonable estimate.

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Obviously this list, which we are not supposed to provide, of wildly different terms does not satisfy the question of "opposite."

(not to mention that many of the choices just don't fit)

(Except for "optimistic," which seems appropriate to me, the terms are dissimilar not opposite.

If you wish to be more precise you can offer three estimates:

1. My best estimate...
2. A conservative estimate...
3. An optimistic estimate...

In summary we expect to see a result ranging from [conservative estimate] to [optimistic estimate], but likely somewhere in between.

I would also like to know this I can't think of a (single) good word that would be the opposite of conservative in this context.

In engineering/science we often speak about conservative approach/measurements when you're being cautious or overly restrictive. If you can do either A or B and you always chose B whenever there's a slightest doubt you are being conservative.

I'm looking at this expression, and found, according the text that i will quote, that the opposite of "conservative estimate" is "liberal estimate".
It's up to you judge.

A conservative estimate is one that is cautious to avoid excess in approximating the quantity, degree, or worth of something. On the other hand a liberal estimate would be one that is cautious to avoid underestimating the quantity in question. For example a conservative estimate of the number of Buddhists in China is about 500,000,000 whereas a less cautious liberal estimate is 1,200,000,000. [1]

Josh Becker, the film director, described the definition of a conservative estimate as "'the low point'" continuing "Whereas, a 'liberal estimate' would give you the high end. < I have reduced the quotation to comply with the 4 sentence limit: Cagey, moderator > [2]

< Source: Conservapedia article on "Conservative Estimate".
They, in turn, have quoted outside sources, but the links to those sources --[1] and [2] -- no longer work. Cagey. >

In regard to the OP, I agree with atom_ant that "generous estimate" works well in the financial world.

For the question raised by five1mon regarding a scientific environment, I might go with "uncertain."

sdgraham said:

Not all expressions have precise "opposites."

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Yes, and then there's the ever-present question of context. For example, if you're dealing with a forecast, I'd probably go with "optimistic." For a valuation, "generous" seems preferable.