calculated
Americanadjective
-
arrived at or determined by mathematical calculation; ascertained mathematically.
-
carefully thought out or planned.
a calculated effort.
adjective
-
undertaken after considering the likelihood of success or failure
a calculated risk
-
deliberately planned; premeditated
a calculated insult
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of calculated
Explanation
If you do something in a calculated way, you've given it quite a bit of thought beforehand, and you're very deliberate in the way you do it. Sometimes calculated can have a positive meaning, like when you plan ahead and are thoughtful about something. A good electrician takes a calculated approach to wiring a new house. On the other hand, a "calculated remark" could be one that's hurtful or manipulative and was made deliberately by the speaker to get a particular reaction or result.
Vocabulary lists containing calculated
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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The Mark of Athena
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The measure would alter the tax so the median salary is calculated for all workers, not just local ones.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
At that time, an open-ended mutual fund’s NAV is calculated by dividing the value of all its investments and cash by the number of shares.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Centcom said this was false and claimed Iran struck the airport in a "deliberate, calculated and unjustified attack".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
At the time, University of Utah postdoctoral researcher George Zandt analyzed the data and calculated that the earthquake originated about 90 kilometers below sea level.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
For instance, if a black hole is spinning or has an electric charge, mathematicians have calculated that the singularity is not a point—a pinpoint hole in space-time—but a ring.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
