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.
The film presents Taylor as a kindly spirit, which turns out to be little more than calculated self-preservation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
This number is routinely calculated from a complete blood count, a common test used to detect infections and assess immune health.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
The pro-rata portion that is tax-free is calculated on Form 8606 every year a distribution is made, regardless of your age, as long as there are after-tax funds in any IRA you own.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
To win a penalty—especially one calculated on “pecuniary gain”—the SEC has to meet higher procedural standards, including the right to a jury trial and strict statutory caps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Nothing could have been better calculated to activate all of Jefferson’s interior antennae, since his primacy as the author of the Declaration was his major claim to everlasting fame.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
