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
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.
What’s more, Nasdaq will multiply that percentage float by three-times, in calculating the weight of a low-float addition to the index.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
No one enjoys doing mental math at the bar, calculating how much they’ve already spent.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 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
We were given desks near each other and were each given a calculating machine.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
