ballpark figure

Slang definitions & phrases for ballpark figure

ballpark figure

noun phrase

A rough numerical approximation: I'd say forty, but that's a ballpark figure (1960s+)


Idioms and Phrases with ballpark figure

ballpark figure

An acceptable, roughly accurate approximation, as in I know you can't tell me the exact cost; just give me a ballpark figure. This term alludes to a baseball field, which is always an enclosed space. The expression is basically an extension of the somewhat earlier in the ballpark, meaning within a reasonable range, and out of the ballpark, beyond a reasonable range. [ ; late 1960s ]