calculating
Americanadjective
-
capable of or made for performing calculations, especially arithmetical calculations.
a calculating machine.
-
a wise and calculating lawyer.
-
selfishly scheming.
a cold and calculating dictator.
- Synonyms:
- designing
adjective
-
selfishly scheming
-
shrewd; cautious
Other Word Forms
- calculatingly adverb
- noncalculating adjective
- uncalculating adjective
- uncalculatingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of calculating
First recorded in 1800–10; calculat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Someone who's calculating is scheming to get exactly what they want, no matter the cost to other people. A movie's calculating villain might be determined to steal his innocent victim's money. The adjective calculating originally meant simply "doing calculations," or in other words, doing math. It quickly took on a figurative meaning that's become its main definition, used for anyone who directs their intelligence and know-how toward ruthlessly getting the best of other people. Your brother's calculating smile is a sure sign he's up to no good.
Vocabulary lists containing calculating
The House of the Scorpion
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Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Mississippi Trial, 1955
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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.
By calculating the strength of the star's wind and tracking how much the jets were deflected, researchers were able to determine the jets' power at a specific moment.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
And when aggregating a value-weighted portfolio of all common stocks over this 100-year time frame and calculating their performance, only 27.60% of stocks beat the market.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
This may have been because he was a foreigner, or a calculating businessman, but Ms. Goldring makes the case that it was Holbein’s irreplaceable artistic prowess that kept him in the king’s good graces.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
"We are calculating our steps with extreme precision and working to keep Syria away from any conflict," he said in a speech after Eid al-Fitr prayers in the capital.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
He was thinking hard, and I hoped he was calculating the cost of Sarah’s wardrobe and the price of gas.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
