calculation
Americannoun
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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
Related Words
See prudence.
Other Word Forms
- calculational adjective
- calculative adjective
- calculatory adjective
- noncalculative adjective
- precalculation noun
- uncalculative adjective
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.
The date is determined through a calculation known as computus paschalis, literally “computation of Easter” in Latin.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
OpenAI made a different calculation, in his view, concluding that users didn’t care about its relationship with the Pentagon.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
It is a mathematical calculation that feels cold and distant from the pain felt by families devastated by meningitis.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Beyond the optics, there is a strategic calculation regarding Taiwan.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 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
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.
