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.
Each participant's "fluid prescription" was calculated by comparing their usual urine output with the amount needed to reach a daily goal of at least 2.5 liters.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
Most tech executives have approached the AI boom with calculated irresponsibility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
However the carmaker's shares slumped more than eight percent on the Paris stock exchange, which was down 1.1 percent, as the profit missed the analyst consensus forecast of 387 million calculated by Bloomberg.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
It’s unclear how the numbers in that study were calculated, and Mahaleris did not respond to requests to provide the study to the Chronicle.
From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026
Once her brain calculated my reasoning, she grinned.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
