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
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.
Many states, including Florida, New York and California, have rules that exempt a primary residence from assets calculated by Medicaid under certain circumstances.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
It calculated that a $2-million penalty would amount to a minute fraction of the assets of the State Farm Group.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Estimates were calculated for every 1km2 of terrestrial land, excluding ice caps and regions where data were insufficient for reliable predictions.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
Around Russia 2018, analysts Kantar calculated that there were an extra 13 million supermarket visits as people stocked up at home.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
In his “Sand Reckoner,” Archimedes first calculated how many grains of sand would fit across a poppy seed, and then how many poppy seeds would span a finger's breadth.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
