calculus

American  

[kal-kyuh-luhs] / ˈkæl kyə ləs /

noun

calculi, plural calculuses plural

1. Mathematics. a method of calculation, especially one of several highly systematic methods of treating problems by a special system of algebraic notations, as differential or integral calculus.

2. Pathology. a stone, or concretion, formed in the gallbladder, kidneys, or other parts of the body.

3. Also called tartar.  Dentistry. a hard, yellowish to brownish-black deposit on teeth formed largely through the mineralization of dead bacteria in dental plaques by the calcium salts in salivary secretions and subgingival transudates.

4. calculation; estimation or computation.

   the calculus of political appeal.

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calculus British  

/ ˈkælkjʊləs /

noun

1. a branch of mathematics, developed independently by Newton and Leibniz. Both differential calculus and integral calculus are concerned with the effect on a function of an infinitesimal change in the independent variable as it tends to zero

2. any mathematical system of calculation involving the use of symbols

3. logic an uninterpreted formal system Compare formal language

4. pathol a stonelike concretion of minerals and salts found in ducts or hollow organs of the body

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calculus Scientific  

/ kăl′kyə-ləs /

calculi plural

1. The branch of mathematics that deals with limits and the differentiation and integration of functions of one or more variables.

2. See more at calculus of variations differential calculus integral calculus

3. A solid mass, usually composed of inorganic material, formed in a cavity or tissue of the body. Calculi are most commonly found in the gallbladder, kidney, or urinary bladder.

4. Also called stone

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calculus Cultural  

1. The branch of mathematics, usually studied after algebra, that provides a natural method for describing gradual change.

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Discover More

Most modern sciences use calculus.

Etymology

Origin of calculus

1610–20; < Latin: pebble, small stone (used in reckoning), equivalent to calc- (stem of calx stone) + -ulus -ule

Explanation

Calculus is a way of using math to study changes in a system. Moral calculus, on the other hand, is a way of measuring morals and ethics, like choosing the lesser of two evils. After an apple bonked him on the head, Newton used calculus to fine-tune his Law of Gravity. Don’t break that law, or you’ll fall right off the planet. Today, if you take a calculus class, you’ve probably already taken geometry and trigonometry. Well done. You’ll measure changes between infinitesimally small points or the area of a curve. In the medical world, a calculus is a hard, crusty mass like a kidney stone; or tartar on a tooth. In Latin, calculus means "small pebble used for counting."

Example Sentences

To attend the University of California, all students must take four years of mathematics: the full sequence of high-school courses through Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics III, generally followed by Calculus or Statistics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

Mr Hayes, a director at Calculus Legal Costs Limited, ran next door after hearing the screams.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024

Calculus is an old subject, invented independently by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the 17th century.

From New York Times • Oct. 24, 2023

Presumably, if you master Calculus 1, something is now different in your brain.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2023

Calculus was the very language of nature, yet its very fabric was infused with zeros and infinities that threatened to destroy the new tool.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• geometry
• math