- present participle of compute.
computing
Americannoun
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the use of a computer to process data or perform calculations.
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the act of calculating or reckoning.
noun
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the activity of using computers and writing programs for them
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the study of computers and their implications
adjective
Etymology
Origin of computing
Explanation
Computing is the act of calculating something––adding it up, multiplying it, or doing more complex math functions to it. Computers are named for this process, because they can compute faster than most people. The verb compute comes from a Latin word for pruning. You can think of it like cleaning up piles of data to get a clear result. If you run a shop and have lots of figures, for items sold and returned, and money paid for salaries and overhead, then you'll have to do some computing to know how much money you actually earned that day. It's also a type of engineering.
Vocabulary lists containing computing
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.
TeraWulf also said it plans to “further expand” its relationship with the maker of the Claude model, which like other hyperscalers is hungry for AI computing power.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026
"It's the foundation of quantum computing, quantum cryptography and even gravitational wave detection."
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
Meta’s plan to sell excess AI computing power stoked concerns that tech companies have overbuilt data-center capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
However, the prospect aligns with commentary from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who told shareholders in May that a move into cloud computing was definitely “on the table.”
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
“You’re using his computing power. I can see the spikes in his usage every night. Where are you looking?”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
