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:
An earlier 12-day heatwave Hungary experienced in late June led to an estimated 304 excess deaths, climate data scientist Peter Szabo told AFP, using provisional mortality figures released earlier on Friday to calculate the number.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
For the future, the FIA is working on an update that would calculate expected car position in the case of an irregular refresh rate from the F1 timing system.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The rate of inflation in the U.S., meanwhile, is too still high, no matter which method is used to calculate the PCE index.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Despite the medium’s many scholars and the mathematicians working hard to calculate box office predictions and forecast trends, film is not an exact science.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Of course not. We need to conduct a control and then calculate a few variables.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
If AI adoption continues on its current trend, the bank calculates that the productivity benefits are set to be more than three times larger in rich economies than in their developing counterparts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The bank calculates that households are sitting on $68 billion to $167 billion of potential equity investment capacity through the first quarter of next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Guessing future winners in AI and automotive intelligence will be tough, though, as he calculates the likelihood of success for those companies of about 1% to 5%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But if that $3 million account is in tax-deferred accounts, they will together need to take a $113,208 RMD when they reach age 73 and will owe $28,951 in taxes, Reichenstein calculates.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Sometimes I think Garrett calculates the exact most awkward way to position his body in any given moment, and then he just goes for it.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Woods earlier reported the record time as 29 days, but corrected it in an email to The Times on Monday, saying she and her husband George “were all so exhausted they hadn’t calculated correctly.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Retirees have a related concern about how Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment is calculated.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
"Brain age is calculated from sleep brain waves," said Leng.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
But Primm said he found Gray calculated and unrepentant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jefferson’s posture throughout the drawn-out counting of the electoral votes remained a combination of studied indifference and calculated obliviousness.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The state director of finance is responsible for calculating the adjusted minimum wage on or before Aug. 1 each year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Only after calculating the probability to be zero did he conduct his experiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
In an unusually detailed sentencing statement, judge O'Grady noted that calculating punishment parts is "with good reason" much misunderstood by victims and members of the public.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"We're essentially trying to create a tree that shows both the relationships of all the different species in the tree, while also calculating when those branches probably diverged," Dr. Churchill says.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
He passed by their homes, so many of which he’d painted and even helped build, calculating how much was lost inside.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
