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:
That alters the calculation about when to draw benefits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
They noted that if Paramount anticipated losing more than $30 million on a film, “it would not greenlight it,” and that the decree does not change that calculation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
“This is just a simple calculation of self-interest.”
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
If we had done the same calculation with the two bond indexes’ yields on July 13, the comparison would have been unfavorable for tax-exempt bonds.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
A similar calculation using 23 rather than 5 yields V2, or 50 percent, as the probability that at least two of twenty-three people will have a common birthday.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
These calculations will perplex the copper market until the tariff question is settled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Today’s house hunters are making calculations similar to the ones Burke and Stanley made in 2023.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
If convicted, he could face around a decade behind bars, according to Turkish media calculations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
For simulations at this relatively small scale, classical computers can still perform the calculations.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
In the meantime, I was working on calculations for two different possible orbits for the first manned trip to the moon.
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.
