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.
BBC News has calculated they total up to £2.8m for basic salaries alone, excluding employer pension contributions in the civil service of 28.97%.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The model then calculated the probability of snakebites occurring in specific locations, even where official health records were completely blank.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Insee calculated that production of goods and services fell by 0.1 percent from July to September, while household consumption expanded by 0.4 percent.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Second, we calculated what that difference is worth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Finally, I make a calculated decision because I don't see any other options.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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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.
