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# guesswork

noun (guesswork — uncountable)

«guesswork» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

Finding an answer by guessing, without enough facts or careful working out. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#m1)

### In the lessons

In maths and science lessons teachers say «show your working, not guesswork»: answers need reasons, measurements or calculations. In everyday life weather, cooking without a recipe or finding your way without a map may involve guesswork. Phrases: pure guesswork, a lot of guesswork, take the guesswork out of.

### Examples

- My answer was pure guesswork, but it was right! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x1)
- A recipe takes the guesswork out of baking. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x2)
- Science uses evidence, not guesswork. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x3)
- Without a map, finding the path was guesswork. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x4)
- The teacher said, «I want calculations, not guesswork.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x5)
- Weather forecasts used to involve much more guesswork. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable: «a lot of guesswork», not «a guesswork». One word. Different from an estimate, which is a sensible guess based on facts.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «guesswork» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/guesswork/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«guesswork» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/guesswork.html) on Mova free.