calculation

[ kal-kyuh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of calculating; computation.
2. the result or product of calculation:

   His calculations agree with ours.

3. an estimate based on the known facts; forecast:

   Her calculation of the building costs proved quite accurate.

4. forethought; prior or careful planning.
5. scheming selfishness.

calculation

/ ˌkælkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or result of calculating
2. an estimation of probability; forecast
3. careful planning or forethought, esp for selfish motives

Other Words From

• cal·cu·la·tive [kal, -ky, uh, -ley-tiv, ‑l, uh, -tiv], calcu·lation·al cal·cu·la·to·ry [kal, -ky, uh, -l, uh, -tawr-ee, ‑-tohr-ee], adjective
• non·calcu·lative adjective
• precal·cu·lation noun
• un·calcu·lative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of calculation¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin calculātiōn- (stem of calculātiō “reckoning”). See calculate, -ion

Synonym Study

See prudence.

Example Sentences

Shanghai’s STAR Market launched last year with a Nasdaq-like focus on tech companies, and on July 22, the Shanghai Stock Exchange began to include STAR-listed companies in its calculations for the Shanghai Composite Index.

From Fortune

A flaw in either the calculations or the experiment seems unlikely, researchers say.

From Science News

In these cases, there’s a greater chance that the computer’s calculations won’t match reality.

From Science News For Students

Kamionkowski and others say more checks are needed to ensure that the early magnetism doesn’t throw off other cosmological calculations.

From Quanta Magazine

You’d need every person on Earth to complete a calculation a second for 20 months—no bathroom breaks—to match what Fugaku does in a heartbeat.

From Singularity Hub 

But now that he is out, it is has been such a non-issue that it is fair to wonder if Michaud made the right calculation.

From The Daily Beast

Ezrahi says there is a military and political calculation behind this devastation.

From The Daily Beast

One more study, one more statistical calculation, one more authoritative pronouncement, and our side will win!

From The Daily Beast

Everything becomes a sort of calculation against the geometry and parabolas of the IDF.

From The Daily Beast

Given those, it would be a virtually routine calculation to determine how far it had flown before crashing.

From The Daily Beast

When a convenient number of coffee-beans is used (any multiple of 100), the percentage calculation is extremely easy.

From Project Gutenberg

The difference is due to the less minute calculation of fractional quantities in the latter case.

From Project Gutenberg

For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation.

From Project Gutenberg

Those who celebrated it on the fourteenth were declared heretics; and both were mistaken in their calculation.

From Project Gutenberg

Bud finds old location on widow's claim, upturns all previous calculation & information given me by her.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arithmetic
• computation
• counting
• estimate
• estimation
• forecast
• judgment
• prediction