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 fee is calculated based on a weekly diesel price index.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Amazon informed sellers that the surcharge, which will go into effect on April 17, will be calculated on fulfillment fees, not on the sale price of items.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Duke University economist Matthias Kehrig calculated that for lower-income commuters, the $1 rise in gas prices in the past month is equivalent to 2% of income.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Read on to see how we calculated those figures.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
Each time Worsley calculated the number of miles they had put behind them, the bird seemed to mock their slow progress.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
