compute
Americanverb (used with object)
-
computes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
computed,
past participle, past
-
computing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
computes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
computed,
past participle, past
-
computing
present participle
-
to reckon; calculate.
-
to use a computer or calculator.
-
Informal. to make sense; add up.
His reasons for doing that just don't compute.
noun
-
Outer space is vast beyond compute.
-
the processing, memory, and storage resources required for a computer, network, or program to function.
To meet today's business demands, you need a solid foundation of compute.
adjective
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
computabilitynoun
-
computistnoun
-
uncomputablenessnoun
-
miscomputeverb
-
precomputeverb
-
recomputeverb (used with object)
-
computableadjective
-
uncomputableadjective
-
uncomputedadjective
-
computablyadverb
-
uncomputablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
computesimple
-
computessimple
-
have computedperfect
-
has computedperfect
-
am computingprogressive
-
are computingprogressive
-
is computingprogressive
-
have been computingperfect progressive
-
has been computingperfect progressive
Past
-
computedsimple
-
had computedperfect
-
was computingprogressive
-
were computingprogressive
-
had been computingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of compute
First recorded in 1375–1425, for an earlier sense; 1580–90 compute for def. 6; (for the verb) from Latin computāre, from com- com- + putāre “to think”; (for the noun) late Middle English from Middle French from Late Latin computus “calculation, number,” noun derivative of computāre; cf. count 1, putative
Explanation
When you solve a mathematical problem, you compute the answer. To compute is to calculate, either literally or figuratively. Computers do the math for you, faster than humans ever can. You'll often hear someone say that something "does not compute." This means it doesn't add up, it doesn't make sense. You might compute how long it will take you to get to school or the likelihood that your mother will let you stay out late.
Vocabulary lists containing compute
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 4
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!
The Number System
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!
Number and Operations: Fractions
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:
In a statement, Collison said that “tokens are the central currency for companies building with AI, and it’s clear that the real-world economic potential will depend on making good use of scarce compute resources.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
“There is probably plenty to go around for everyone, especially in the current environment which remains compute constrained,” Rasgon said, referring to the idea that there isn’t enough AI chip supply to meet customer needs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
I have seen genuinely funny and ingenious A.I.-produced shorts on my feeds, many of them likely helmed with a fraction of the compute and app deployment needed at Fairground.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
If Elon Musk can expand its compute capacity swiftly, Microsoft could be perfectly positioned to monetize this “one-in-a-generation opportunity”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Lots of times, that ability to compute and calculate information rapidly was helpful, like when he was reading about complex mathematical theories.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
The harsh reality remains that anything that computes needs some form of system memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
With quantum computers, it will be possible to run massive computes to see how different molecules react with each other to find out what works and with what side-effects.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
“This new math can simulate them, because it computes the same way nature does.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2025
I tell her what I want to say, and she just computes it in her brain and she translates it in a way that has taught me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
And during that week after his birthday, Mama Nee is working third shift, so that computes to just about every night.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Here is more from the agency on how the family maximum is computed.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
“I computed the statistics,” he says, “and decided it was fifty-fifty.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
These expressions were strikingly efficient, allowing pi to be computed much faster than existing techniques of the time.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 16, 2025
There are some factors that can’t be computed by tech and A.I.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2024
Her glowing eyes darted around as she computed a plan.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
The biggest drop in subject entries, though, is in computing, with a 7.1% fall to 85,000 entries.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Within the national security community, some people understood the importance of the computing revolution unfolding in Silicon Valley—and why they needed to tap into it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Even before ChatGPT heralded the beginning of the AI boom, Chinese policy documents were "talking about the idea that computing power is correlated with national power", said Stokols.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
For one, Nowak’s calculations run on the assumption that demand for computing capacity will continue to grow.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
We’d tackled gun control, the meaning of intellectual property, the structure of American education, and the future of networked computing.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
