calculate
Americanverb (used with object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
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calculated,
past participle, past
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calculating
present participle
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to determine or ascertain by mathematical methods; compute.
to calculate the velocity of light.
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to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge.
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to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt (usually used passively and with an infinitive).
His remarks were calculated to inspire our confidence.
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Chiefly Northern U.S.
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to think; guess.
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to intend; plan.
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verb (used without object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
calculated,
past participle, past
-
calculating
present participle
-
to make a computation or form an estimate.
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to count or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
They calculated on good weather.
verb
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to solve (one or more problems) by a mathematical procedure; compute
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to determine beforehand by judgment, reasoning, etc; estimate
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(tr; usually passive) to design specifically; aim
the car was calculated to appeal to women
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to depend; rely
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dialect (tr; may take a clause as object)
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to suppose; think
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to intend (to do something)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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calculatesimple
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calculatessimple
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have calculatedperfect
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has calculatedperfect
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am calculatingprogressive
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are calculatingprogressive
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is calculatingprogressive
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have been calculatingperfect progressive
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has been calculatingperfect progressive
Past
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calculatedsimple
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had calculatedperfect
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was calculatingprogressive
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were calculatingprogressive
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had been calculatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of calculate
First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin calculātus “reckoned,” past participle of calculāre “to reckon,” derivative of calculus “pebble”; see calculus
Explanation
To calculate is to compute, by figuring out a mathematical equation or a situation. You can calculate your monthly student loan payments, or calculate the risk of not paying them on time. Calculate derives from the Latin word for "count." When you calculate, you either count something up or calculate on something happening. You might be able to calculate the answer to a simple equation in your head but need a calculator to figure out a more complex problem. And when someone is calculating, they are scheming or conniving, always figuring out the fastest way to get ahead.
Vocabulary lists containing calculate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Pi Day Vocabulary
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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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.
See Examples For:
This matters because stations need at least 16 hours of valid PM2.5 measurements to calculate a daily average, according to CPCB's methodology.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Without those figures, the analysis cannot calculate the actual likelihood of a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or another cardiovascular event among consumers of energy drinks and stimulant supplements.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
I calculate that on a price-only basis, they need only grow at a 1.5% annualized rate in order for them to beat the 10-year Treasury over the next decade.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
They must be easy to calculate, but not too easy—a little bit of math lends credibility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
I don’t know how they calculate that, but I’m sure I’ll learn when I take advanced math classes in school.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
They also incorporated a radiation transport model that calculates how light, including ultraviolet radiation, travels through the universe and interacts with surrounding matter.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
Statewide, more than 4 million votes remain to be counted in this race, according to the Associated Press, which calculates the expected vote using returns and other data.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
The Treasury calculates that 60% of households will save an average of £45 a year, with lower users gaining the most.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Mr. Silvertown calculates that at their seasonal high point there are a thousand times more leaves in one type of British grassland than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
"Actually"—Fifi calculates by lifting her fingers one by one from the baby's back, then patting them down—"it was the fourth night. But I knew the minute I saw him."
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
England boss Sir Alf Ramsey called him: "My lieutenant on the field, a cool, calculated footballer I could trust with my life."
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Its appearance provided additional confirmation of the record intensity calculated from the pulse energy, duration, and size of the focused beam.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
The DfE said its guidance sets out "how repayments are calculated across the different repayment plans", adding that it was "vital" that university applicants have "clear and accurate information".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Like everything else in the movie, it felt obvious and calculated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
They watched the moon carefully and calculated calendar days with more fervor than when they added up their gambling tabs.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
One way to measure is calculating biomass, which refers to plant life by weight but is complicated to do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
When calculating total sea ice extent, scientists assume this region is covered by ice.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Australia’s Qantas, for example, earlier this year suspended its direct flight from Perth to London after calculating that the 17-hour flight wasn’t viable without flying through the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
The longstanding problem of calculating one’s location appears to have been solved by the Global Positioning System.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
A sense of calculating purpose that snuffed out all the anger, dried up all his tears.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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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.
