calculate
Americanverb (used with object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
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calculated,
past participle, past
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calculating
present participle
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to determine or ascertain by mathematical methods; compute.
to calculate the velocity of light.
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to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge.
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to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt (usually used passively and with an infinitive).
His remarks were calculated to inspire our confidence.
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Chiefly Northern U.S.
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to think; guess.
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to intend; plan.
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verb (used without object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
calculated,
past participle, past
-
calculating
present participle
-
to make a computation or form an estimate.
-
to count or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
They calculated on good weather.
verb
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to solve (one or more problems) by a mathematical procedure; compute
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to determine beforehand by judgment, reasoning, etc; estimate
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(tr; usually passive) to design specifically; aim
the car was calculated to appeal to women
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to depend; rely
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dialect (tr; may take a clause as object)
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to suppose; think
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to intend (to do something)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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calculatesimple
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calculatessimple
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have calculatedperfect
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has calculatedperfect
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am calculatingprogressive
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are calculatingprogressive
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is calculatingprogressive
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have been calculatingperfect progressive
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has been calculatingperfect progressive
Past
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calculatedsimple
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had calculatedperfect
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was calculatingprogressive
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were calculatingprogressive
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had been calculatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of calculate
First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin calculātus “reckoned,” past participle of calculāre “to reckon,” derivative of calculus “pebble”; see calculus
Explanation
To calculate is to compute, by figuring out a mathematical equation or a situation. You can calculate your monthly student loan payments, or calculate the risk of not paying them on time. Calculate derives from the Latin word for "count." When you calculate, you either count something up or calculate on something happening. You might be able to calculate the answer to a simple equation in your head but need a calculator to figure out a more complex problem. And when someone is calculating, they are scheming or conniving, always figuring out the fastest way to get ahead.
Vocabulary lists containing calculate
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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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.
See Examples For:
The board will also calculate the amount of wealth subject to the tax using publicly available stock information and private assessments of personal property, such as artwork and jewelry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The analysis excluded duplicate claims, five states that reported insufficient data to accurately calculate weekly therapy hours, and a small share of patient weeks with implausibly high hours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Fourth, the price of industrial metals used in the construction of data centers have leapt materially and the Goldman economists calculate this lifted the core inflation number by 5 basis points.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Even powerful conventional computers can struggle to calculate how all the interacting components evolve.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
There’s no way to accurately calculate how long it will take me.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Mr. Silvertown calculates that at their seasonal high point there are a thousand times more leaves in one type of British grassland than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Nobody calculates how hungry they are with their entrée still twenty minutes away.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
Sarah Godwin calculates it cost her family's Wiltshire farm "over £100,000".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Wednesday's revisions to PCE data were due to planned methodological changes, including to how the BEA calculates prices for computer-related products, portfolio management and legal services.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Brainvox calculates sixteen possible paths for the iron to follow through Phineas's head.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
A total of 42% of Americans have never calculated how much money they’ll need in retirement, according to a new report from Evergreen.ai, a financial-planning platform.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
First, they calculated the total time participants spent doing moderate or vigorous activities.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
But underneath what seems promising, the beginnings of empathy and maybe healing, there’s something performative and calculated in this fast bond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
In its ruling, the panel said Burwood had engaged in a "sustained, calculated course of conduct" and had manipulated the resident for personal gain.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
I calculated two sample orbits—one with a rocket launching from the east, and the other from the west.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Although the fundamental equations of quantum mechanics can describe the other two processes, calculating how energy is lost through atomic vibrations presents substantial computational obstacles.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
When calculating total sea ice extent, scientists assume this region is covered by ice.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Australia’s Qantas, for example, earlier this year suspended its direct flight from Perth to London after calculating that the 17-hour flight wasn’t viable without flying through the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Companies are also taking a hard look at pricier expedited orders, calculating whether some customers can wait or even if some can pick up their orders themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
I tried calculating how much money we could make if we switched to the bead business.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
