▪ I. est
(ɛst)
[Acronym f. the initial letters of Erhard Seminars Training.]
An alternative philosophy and technique intended to raise self-awareness and ‘human potential’, involving philosophical and psychological means, including motivational theories from the business world, devised in California by Werner Erhard (J. P. Rosenberg, b. 1935). Freq. attrib.
| [1970 L. C. Stevens Est 34 Complete representatives of the Electronic Social Transformation, they are the people of the EST.] 1973 Bull. San Francisco Med. Soc. Sept./Oct. 40/2 The male graduate of the est training is more willing to assume responsibility for himself. 1976 L. Rhinehart Book of Est p. xii, Est is not a religion, not a therapy, not an academic course, not a belief system. It might best be described.. as theater—..as encounter theater. 1979 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 15 Dec. 1558/1 For Appelbaum Gestalt therapy, ‘est’, bioenergetics, transcendental meditation, primal screaming, and yoga all constitute elements of the ‘human potential’ movement. 1983 Listener 23 June 14/1 More clients are going to naturopaths, chiropractors and faith healers, or are trying fashionable psychological health movements, such as dianetics and est. |
▪ II. est
dial. form of nest; cf. adder for nadder.
▪ III. est
obs. var. of east.
▪ IV. est
var. of este, Obs., delight, favour.