noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
miscomputationnoun
-
noncomputationnoun
-
recomputationnoun
-
computationaladjective
-
computativeadjective
-
computativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Expressions and Equations
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Henry David Thoreau "Civil Disobedience" (1849)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The Energy Department will invest more than $500 million over five years in lab measurement, modeling and computation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
According to the researchers, those results illustrate how optical computation could provide a more secure and dependable foundation for some artificial intelligence systems.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
The results may also reveal something more fundamental about biological computation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Spikes in AI computation followed by rapid drop-offs are common, a fluctuation that puts significant strain on electricity-generation equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
For them epicycles were useful fictions which made computation of the position of the planets possible.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
He characterized AI capabilities as statistical computations and warned that assigning consciousness to AI erodes human dignity.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Their computations, which are in effect the switching on and off of microscopic silicon transistors that make up a chip, are actually silent.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Even so, some have already outgrown those computations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
South Korea’s market is led by twin chip giants, Samsung and SK Hynix, which dominate the production of two leading types of memory chips for AI computations and data storage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
It took me a day and a half to complete my computations.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
