calculating
Americanadjective
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capable of or made for performing calculations, especially arithmetical calculations.
a calculating machine.
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a wise and calculating lawyer.
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selfishly scheming.
a cold and calculating dictator.
- Synonyms:
- designing
adjective
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selfishly scheming
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shrewd; cautious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of calculating
First recorded in 1800–10; calculat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Someone who's calculating is scheming to get exactly what they want, no matter the cost to other people. A movie's calculating villain might be determined to steal his innocent victim's money. The adjective calculating originally meant simply "doing calculations," or in other words, doing math. It quickly took on a figurative meaning that's become its main definition, used for anyone who directs their intelligence and know-how toward ruthlessly getting the best of other people. Your brother's calculating smile is a sure sign he's up to no good.
Vocabulary lists containing calculating
The House of the Scorpion
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Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Mississippi Trial, 1955
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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.
It matters because of what it signals to every other newsroom watching — every executive calculating the cost of compliance versus resistance, every journalist wondering whether their employer will protect them.
From Salon • May 13, 2026
Meta said Ofcom's methods for calculating fees and penalties were "disproportionate", while Ofcom said it would "robustly defend" its position.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
The budget airline group came up with the $2.5 billion figure by calculating how much more they estimate spending on jet fuel this year compared with their earlier forecasts, some of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
During pre-trial hearings, US Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers mused that Musk team seemed to be "pulling numbers out of the air" when it came to calculating damages.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
He would spend hours on end in his room, calculating the strategic possibilities of his novel weapon until he succeeded in putting together a manual of startling instructional clarity and an irresistible power of conviction.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
