computation

American  

[kom-pyoo-tey-shuhn] / ˌkɒm pyʊˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act, process, or method of computing; calculation.

2. a result of computing.

3. the amount computed.

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computation British  

/ ˌkɒmpjʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a calculation involving numbers or quantities

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncomputation
  noun
• miscomputation
  noun
• recomputation
  noun
• computative
  adjective
• computational
  adjective
• computatively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of computation

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin computātiōn-, stem of computātiō, from computāt(us) “reckoned” (past participle of computāre “to reckon, sum up”; see compute) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Computation is what you do when you calculate something, like a simple math problem or something involving quantum mechanics or — worse — even your taxes. People have invented all kinds of machines to help with computation, from the abacus to the computer, and, in fact, when computers were first invented (and when one computer could easily fill a large room), using a computer was called computation. Much of what made computers so revolutionary was that in a relatively short time they could do a complex mathematical computation that would take a human many lifetimes to do.

Related Words

• calculation
• computing