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.
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
The stocks are listed in descending order of their surprise, as calculated by LSEG.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The tribunal found that, in her case, "the holiday pay was not calculated on a true average of gross pay or in accordance with government guidelines".
From BBC • May 31, 2026
They hover with a calculated theatricality: “Hat Rack” drops like a predatory spider; the shovels’ metal scoops are poised like guillotine blades; and “Bottle Rack” dives like a missile—an apt metaphor for their impact.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Assuming this represented a single layer of atoms, Halley calculated that a cube of gold with a side one-hundredth of an inch long would contain more than 2.433 million atoms.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
