Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

recalculate

American  
[ree-kal-kyuh-leyt] / riˈkæl kjəˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

recalculated, recalculating
  1. to calculate again, especially for the purpose of finding an error or confirming a previous computation.


recalculate British  
/ riːˈkælkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

  1. to calculate (a total, sum, etc) again

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of recalculate

First recorded in 1615–25; re- + calculate

Explanation

To recalculate is to count or measure something again, using new information. You might need to recalculate your monthly budget after your landlord raises the rent. If the vet says your cat is getting too fat, you'll have to recalculate how much you feed him to help him lose weight. And when you're planning a dinner party and your brother announces he's bringing five friends, you'll need to recalculate how much food to make. We can trace the verb calculate back to the Latin calculus, originally "pebble used as a reckoning counter." The prefix re- adds the sense of "do it again."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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:

A year later, you would recalculate using your new balance and your new life expectancy of 15 years, and so on.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 23, 2026

“Every company that was built on human interaction with technology, I think they need to kind of recalculate the future,” CEO Shlomi Ben Haim told Barron’s on Thursday.

From Barron's May 7, 2026

Depending on your earnings history and how much you earn, the agency may even recalculate your benefits and increase them based on your new earnings years.

From MarketWatch Mar. 25, 2026

And the shift in the political mood has forced Conservatives to recalculate their messaging.

From BBC Mar. 9, 2025

The major business of the evening, in all likelihood, was an agreement to recalculate Virginia's debt and corresponding share of the enlarged federal debt.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The value of their bedroom as well as any income and assets their family may have will be calculated and recalculated as often as every month and deducted from their SSI check.

From Salon Apr. 29, 2026

One customer order could be subject to three different tariff rates depending on the products purchased—and that payment now has to be recalculated, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 31, 2026

As a result, her annual property taxes would be recalculated based on the FMV at the time of your death.

From MarketWatch Nov. 13, 2025

The energy regulator has since changed its estimates of the typical amount of gas and electricity used by households, and recalculated the cap to £1,834.

From BBC Nov. 23, 2023

The cautious Weaver, adding an expansion factor for Ernest’s ambitions but still thinking too small, had privately recalculated the budget at $ 1 million for construction and another $500,000 for ten years of operation.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Owners managing the crisis from offices in Singapore, Athens and London are recalculating routes and costs.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 21, 2026

Like yesterday’s jobs report, the January CPI report will be a bit harder to read than usual due to the bureau recalculating seasonal adjustments to align with price movements throughout the past year.

From Barron's Feb. 13, 2026

The Inspector General’s office determined the agency’s telephone customer-service data was accurate after recalculating monthly performance metrics, the report said.

From MarketWatch Dec. 23, 2025

“We haven’t got the mental space to be recalculating transportation options,” Clark said, shrugging.

From Slate Dec. 3, 2024

While translating and recalculating the tables, Dionysius did a little research on the side; he realized that he could figure out just when Jesus Christ was born.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training