calculate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to determine or ascertain by mathematical methods; compute.
to calculate the velocity of light.
-
to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge.
-
to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt (usually used passively and with an infinitive).
His remarks were calculated to inspire our confidence.
-
Chiefly Northern U.S.
-
to think; guess.
-
to intend; plan.
-
verb (used without object)
-
to make a computation or form an estimate.
-
to count or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
They calculated on good weather.
verb
-
to solve (one or more problems) by a mathematical procedure; compute
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to determine beforehand by judgment, reasoning, etc; estimate
-
(tr; usually passive) to design specifically; aim
the car was calculated to appeal to women
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to depend; rely
-
dialect (tr; may take a clause as object)
-
to suppose; think
-
to intend (to do something)
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
calculatesimple
-
calculatessimple
-
have calculatedperfect
-
has calculatedperfect
-
am calculatingprogressive
-
are calculatingprogressive
-
is calculatingprogressive
-
have been calculatingperfect progressive
-
has been calculatingperfect progressive
Past
-
calculatedsimple
-
had calculatedperfect
-
was calculatingprogressive
-
were calculatingprogressive
-
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
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pi Day Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 chart from Barclays shows a far fewer number of individual companies beating the S&P 500 over the last 12 months, which they calculate at 37%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
In an environment where economic and political volatility is the norm, Generation Z cannot easily calculate risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
By comparing that intrinsic brightness with how bright the stars appear from Earth, researchers can accurately calculate their distance.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
It means that lenders will no longer need to calculate or pay compensation to people owed money under its scheme, until the legal process concludes.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
I look around, trying to calculate our current situation, but the numbers just aren’t adding up.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
After nine months of campaigning on the Eastern Front, Mr. Hargreaves calculates, the German forces had suffered one million casualties, “a quarter of them dead or captured.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
That stake is now worth about $46 billion, Barron’s calculates.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The hospital association calculates that SEIU-UHW has spent nearly $125 million on local and statewide initiatives since 2012.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Energy Information Administration calculates that China’s strategic reserves stood at about 1.4 billion barrels of oil late last year.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
I wonder how she calculates her pace—with her watch or with her brain.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for Paxton’s Senate campaign, did not respond to a question about how Paxton calculated his win rate, but said in a statement that his “results speak for themselves.”
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Neither of those figures was calculated using generally accepted accounting principles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Fundamentally there is the speed of a moving object, calculated by dividing distance by time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
But its soaring atriums decorated with onyx and green marble could hardly be better calculated to induce jealousy in Trump, who frequently raves about the opulent dwellings of other foreign leaders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
He had calculated on these first objections: he was not irritated by them.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Higher inflation means that those future earnings must be discounted to a much greater extent when calculating their present value.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
“However you can get out of LAX the fastest and the cheapest is how everybody’s calculating in my circle of bartenders and magicians” said Joshua Lucas, a passenger who was recently arriving at LAX.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Because the company still uses the disputed cross-border method for calculating its taxes, Coke would likely owe more for 2010 through 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
By calculating similarity matrices for these elements across chromosomes and examining how they cluster at different similarity thresholds, the researchers generated what they call a "serial similarity matrix."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
But Lexie and Brian were also teenagers, poor at calculating odds and even poorer at assessing risks.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
