calculation
Americannoun
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calculations
plural
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the act or process of calculating; computation.
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the result or product of calculation.
His calculations agree with ours.
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an estimate based on the known facts; forecast.
Her calculation of the building costs proved quite accurate.
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forethought; prior or careful planning.
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scheming selfishness.
noun
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the act, process, or result of calculating
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an estimation of probability; forecast
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careful planning or forethought, esp for selfish motives
Synonym Usage
See prudence.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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precalculationnoun
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calculationaladjective
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calculativeadjective
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calculatoryadjective
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noncalculativeadjective
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uncalculativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of calculation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin calculātiōn- (stem of calculātiō “reckoning”). See calculate, -ion
Explanation
Calculation is the act of calculating, which is using math or logic to figure out a problem. If your calculation is correct, then you can wear you sister’s favorite dress and put it back before she gets home. A calculation is a careful, thought-out activity. The first kind of calculation involves figuring out the answer to a problem in math — the kind you might use a calculator for. Calculation also refers to using logic to figure out a non-numerical problem. If you have a difficult decision to make — like deciding what college to attend — calculation is your friend. That kind of calculation is to thoroughly think something through and make plans.
Vocabulary lists containing calculation
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
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Number and Operations in Base Ten
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Week 4: Now We Know
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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.
See Examples For:
Your $500,000 property is not directly part of this 1031 calculation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
When the researchers used a different calculation that removed severely derogatory balances, they found that the pace of delinquencies stabilized after 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
A rough calculation suggests that last year’s cityide overall homelessness number would have still have been an increase, but by a more modest rate of just under 1.9%, not 3.4%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The calculation from Cunningham’s end, if there is one, is also not difficult to understand.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
I might have discovered that in at least one instance the wheel had stopped, that in spite of all the unrelenting calculation, chance and luck had, at least once, changed something.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
"Our calculations regard the concrete physical model of an atom that is placed in a cavity between two mirrors, where it can absorb and emit light particles," says postdoc Marcelo Janovitch.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
According to calculations filed with the court in June, the states could seek more than $3 billion for those violations related to under 13-year-olds alone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
For one, Nowak’s calculations run on the assumption that demand for computing capacity will continue to grow.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Our friend Arthur Laffer recently ran updated calculations showing how high the cost can be, assuming an asset is held for five years and earns a 5% inflation-adjusted annual return.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Then, by referring to the almanacs and making some calculations, he can determine how far north or south he is: that is his latitude.
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.
