compute
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to reckon; calculate.
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to use a computer or calculator.
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Informal. to make sense; add up.
His reasons for doing that just don't compute.
noun
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Outer space is vast beyond compute.
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the processing, memory, and storage resources required for a computer, network, or program to function.
To meet today's business demands, you need a solid foundation of compute.
adjective
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compute
First recorded in 1375–1425, for an earlier sense; 1580–90 compute for def. 6; (for the verb) from Latin computāre, from com- com- + putāre “to think”; (for the noun) late Middle English from Middle French from Late Latin computus “calculation, number,” noun derivative of computāre; cf. count 1, putative
Explanation
When you solve a mathematical problem, you compute the answer. To compute is to calculate, either literally or figuratively. Computers do the math for you, faster than humans ever can. You'll often hear someone say that something "does not compute." This means it doesn't add up, it doesn't make sense. You might compute how long it will take you to get to school or the likelihood that your mother will let you stay out late.
Vocabulary lists containing compute
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 4
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The Number System
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Number and Operations: Fractions
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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.
Compute Cash: Anthropic secured up to $65 billion in new funding commitments this week from Amazon and Google as it seeks to expand its access to computing resources.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Compute demand, and the AI trade, are also central to stock market performance.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Compute scarcity continues to weigh on Chinese development — yet it has created a mindset fundamentally at odds with the U.S. focus on brute-force scaling.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 24, 2026
Compute intensity and demand from its AI chip unit, Kunlunxin, are also likely to have risen in 4Q.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
Compute the percentage composition, always by weight, of P2O2 and P2O5.
From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Williams, Rufus Phillips
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.
