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
- calculatedly adverb
- calculatedness noun
- uncalculated adjective
- well-calculated adjective
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.
“Over the life of this fraud scheme, not a single legitimate hospice service was ever provided, yet millions were billed in a brazen, calculated scheme that exploited the Medi-Cal system,” Bonta said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
While going rather easy on King George, Ms. Worsley is dismayed by the strategy of her antecedents, whose tactics often seemed calculated to fan the sputtering flames of rebellion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
The Amazon surcharge will be calculated on fulfillment fees, not on the sale price of items.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Sharp, who worked at the Greenwich Royal Observatory and has a crater on the moon named after him, was also a mathematician who calculated pi to 72 decimal places.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
I imagine that the loops and twists are perfectly calculated equations.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
