noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of computation
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin computātiōn-, stem of computātiō, from computāt(us) “reckoned” (past participle of computāre “to reckon, sum up”; see compute) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Computation is what you do when you calculate something, like a simple math problem or something involving quantum mechanics or — worse — even your taxes. People have invented all kinds of machines to help with computation, from the abacus to the computer, and, in fact, when computers were first invented (and when one computer could easily fill a large room), using a computer was called computation. Much of what made computers so revolutionary was that in a relatively short time they could do a complex mathematical computation that would take a human many lifetimes to do.
Vocabulary lists containing computation
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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Expressions and Equations
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Henry David Thoreau "Civil Disobedience" (1849)
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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.
Korinek, the UVA professor, says that for now the amount spent on AI computation isn’t so big that a tax on it would provide a windfall.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
AI models improve when developers use more memory, and the rise of AI agents demands even more memory and storage at each level of computation.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
There is a persistent belief in certain corners of the tech world that complex social problems can be eliminated through computation.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
Still others argue the underlying assumption here may be mistaken—that consciousness may not be reducible to computation at all.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
The os in his calculations were only intermediaries, crutches that vanished miraculously by the end of the computation.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
