calculus

American  

[kal-kyuh-luhs] / ˈkæl kyə ləs /

noun

calculi, plural calculuses plural

1. Mathematics. a method of calculation, especially one of several highly systematic methods of treating problems by a special system of algebraic notations, as differential or integral calculus.

2. Pathology. a stone, or concretion, formed in the gallbladder, kidneys, or other parts of the body.

3. Also called tartar.  Dentistry. a hard, yellowish to brownish-black deposit on teeth formed largely through the mineralization of dead bacteria in dental plaques by the calcium salts in salivary secretions and subgingival transudates.

4. calculation; estimation or computation.

   the calculus of political appeal.

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calculus British  

/ ˈkælkjʊləs /

noun

1. a branch of mathematics, developed independently by Newton and Leibniz. Both differential calculus and integral calculus are concerned with the effect on a function of an infinitesimal change in the independent variable as it tends to zero

2. any mathematical system of calculation involving the use of symbols

3. logic an uninterpreted formal system Compare formal language

4. pathol a stonelike concretion of minerals and salts found in ducts or hollow organs of the body

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calculus Scientific  

/ kăl′kyə-ləs /

calculi plural

1. The branch of mathematics that deals with limits and the differentiation and integration of functions of one or more variables.

2. See more at calculus of variations differential calculus integral calculus

3. A solid mass, usually composed of inorganic material, formed in a cavity or tissue of the body. Calculi are most commonly found in the gallbladder, kidney, or urinary bladder.

4. Also called stone

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calculus Cultural  

1. The branch of mathematics, usually studied after algebra, that provides a natural method for describing gradual change.

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Discover More

Most modern sciences use calculus.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• calculuses
  plural
• calculi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of calculus

1610–20; < Latin: pebble, small stone (used in reckoning), equivalent to calc- (stem of calx stone) + -ulus -ule

Explanation

Calculus is a way of using math to study changes in a system. Moral calculus, on the other hand, is a way of measuring morals and ethics, like choosing the lesser of two evils. After an apple bonked him on the head, Newton used calculus to fine-tune his Law of Gravity. Don’t break that law, or you’ll fall right off the planet. Today, if you take a calculus class, you’ve probably already taken geometry and trigonometry. Well done. You’ll measure changes between infinitesimally small points or the area of a curve. In the medical world, a calculus is a hard, crusty mass like a kidney stone; or tartar on a tooth. In Latin, calculus means "small pebble used for counting."

Example Sentences

But older parents also face a financial calculus they hadn’t fully anticipated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

But a few factors have changed the calculus, causing demand for U.S. battery systems to surge and potentially keeping margins elevated.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

“If you reduce your application rates, you’re going to look at yield losses. So, it’s a really challenging calculus on that front.”

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Schmit skillfully weaves in mental health and the quiet, complicated calculus of coming out in a hyper-public sport.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The inventors of calculus, Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, created the most powerful mathematical method ever by dividing by zero and adding an infinite number of zeros together.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• geometry
• math