What is the Meaning of the Expression ‘A Ballpark Figure’?

A ballpark figure is —

• a rough approximation;
• an educated guess;
• an estimate.

A ballpark is a park or stadium where baseball is played. This field is always an enclosed space.

This expression is an extension of an earlier phrase “In the ballpark” which meant ‘within a reasonable range’; the enclosed space of a baseball field is a metaphor for reasonable range.

Similarly, ‘Out of the ballpark’ means out of reasonable range.

Let’s see an example —

“How much will the new system cost? Can you give me a ballpark?”

Can you tell me how much the new system will cost approximately?

There’s one more phrase that I want to discuss here — ‘To hit out of the ballpark’ which means to perform extraordinarily or exceptionally well. It is a reference to a baseball being hit hard enough such that it lands outside the stadium.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.