reckoning
Americannoun
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count; computation; calculation.
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the settlement of accounts, as between two companies.
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a statement of an amount due; bill.
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an accounting, as for things received or done.
- Synonyms:
- retribution, judgment
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an appraisal or judgment.
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Navigation. dead reckoning.
noun
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the act of counting or calculating
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settlement of an account or bill
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a bill or account
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retribution for one's actions (esp in the phrase day of reckoning )
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nautical short for dead reckoning
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reckoning
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; reckon + -ing 1
Explanation
A reckoning is a calculation or number you estimate. You might say, "By my reckoning, there are now seventeen kids in the bouncy house, which might be a few too many." The act of counting or tallying can be called a reckoning, and so can a person's opinion on something. You could describe an ancient astronomer's reckoning that the Earth was at the center of the universe or your own reckoning that guests should never stay more than three days. And if you and your estranged sister have a reckoning, it means you finally get together and hold each other accountable for past actions.
Vocabulary lists containing reckoning
Fahrenheit 451
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The Cay
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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.
Japan has not sold off its Treasury bondholdings, no Treasury auction has failed, and people have predicted a Japanese debt reckoning for 30 years while being wrong every single time.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
I would add that the Salinger myth also delayed a reckoning with his most famous character’s mental health.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Wall Street is reckoning with a new reality: The biggest tech companies are no longer cash-printing machines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He said the release will likely "cause a reckoning in the capital markets" since it "brings into question what the dominance will be" of US-based, closed-source models like those from OpenAI and Anthropic.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
At last, by Seaborg’s reckoning, they had one quarter of a millionth of a gram of element 94.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
