reckon

American  

[rek-uhn] / ˈrɛk ən /

verb (used with object)

• reckons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reckoned,
  past participle,  past
• reckoning
  present participle

1. to count, compute, or calculate, as in number or amount.

   Synonyms:

   enumerate

2. to esteem or consider; regard as.

   to be reckoned an authority in the field.

   Synonyms:

   judge, estimate, deem, account

3. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. to think or suppose.

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verb (used without object)

• reckons,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reckoned,
  past participle,  past
• reckoning
  present participle

1. to count; make a computation or calculation.

2. to settle accounts, as with a person (often followed byup ).

3. to count, depend, or rely, as in expectation (often followed byon ).

4. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. to think or suppose.

verb phrase

1. reckon with

   1. to include in consideration or planning; anticipate.

      He hadn't reckoned with so many obstacles.

   2. to deal with.

      I have to reckon with many problems every day.

reckon British  

/ ˈrɛkən /

verb

1. to calculate or ascertain by calculating; compute

2. (tr) to include; count as part of a set or class

   I reckon her with the angels

3. (usually passive) to consider or regard

   he is reckoned clever

4. (when tr, takes a clause as object) to think or suppose; be of the opinion

   I reckon you don't know where to go next

5. to settle accounts (with)

6. (intr; foll by with or without) to take into account or fail to take into account

   the bully reckoned without John's big brother

7. (intr; foll by on or upon) to rely or depend

   I reckon on your support in this crisis

8. slang (tr) to regard as good

   I don't reckon your chances of success

9. informal (tr) to have a high opinion of

   she was sensitive to bad reviews, even from people she did not reckon

10. of considerable importance or influence

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reckon Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing reckon

• force to be reckoned with

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outreckon
  verb (used with object)
• prereckon
  verb (used with object)
• underreckon
  verb (used with object)
• unreckon
  verb (used with object)
• reckonable
  adjective
• unreckonable
  adjective
• unreckoned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• reckoning
  present
• reckoned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reckon
  simple
• reckons
  simple
• have reckoned
  perfect
• has reckoned
  perfect
• am reckoning
  progressive
• are reckoning
  progressive
• is reckoning
  progressive
• have been reckoning
  perfect progressive
• has been reckoning
  perfect progressive

Past

• reckoned
  simple
• had reckoned
  perfect
• was reckoning
  progressive
• were reckoning
  progressive
• had been reckoning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reckon
  simple
• will have reckoned
  perfect
• will be reckoning
  progressive
• will have been reckoning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reckon

First recorded before 1000; Middle English rekenen, Old English gerecenian “to report, pay”; cognate with German rechnen “to compute”

Explanation

Reckon means "guess" or "imagine," and is often used by rural types in Hollywood movies who say things like "I reckon I'll be moseyin' on." Reckon also means "suppose" or "think," as in "I reckon he's put his nose where it don't belong one too many times." If reckon sounds odd, that’s because it's mostly gone out of style. When used to talk about prediction, it's a little more common, as in "Who do you reckon is going to win the Super Bowl?" Still, it sounds a little old-fashioned. Many people use the word just for fun. Saying "I reckon" sounds more humorous than "Yes."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reckon reckons reckoned reckoning

They reckon that this backdrop means companies will have to provide sufficient confidence in their guidance if they are to arrest the current slide in forward estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

When Lestat is made to reckon with what’s presented as “failures” in both his mortal and immortal lives, he can’t quite own up to being a true monster, because that’s not what he really is.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Now he has to reckon with what he’s done.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The actual policy consequence of this will have to reckon with rising global energy prices, pressure on household budgets, and some impatience from North Sea energy interests to pump more oil and gas.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

“Well, then I reckon they won’t steal no more a-my f’ar wood.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Overly glib or sarcastic messages can get you into trouble, even if they are funny, reckons Paul Fitzsimmons, head of sales and marketing at law firm Wilford Smith.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Halliday thinks the squad "shouldn't be that imbalanced this late into the transfer window" and reckons they need "three centre-halves, one left-back, two, arguably, three wingers".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Players with significant exposure to traditional end markets such as computers and smartphones may face a more challenging environment due to rising memory costs, he reckons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Aluminum prices are expected to remain supported by a supply deficit in 2026, while still subdued alumina prices should continue to support smelting margins, he reckons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Only time I’ve ever seen Dad as angry as Mum. Fred reckons his left buttock has never been the same since.”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

The startup struggled to raise funds initially, because potential investors and customers reckoned that the founders were too inexperienced to succeed in a field as complex as AI computing hardware.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

When Bessent helped George Soros break the pound on “Black Wednesday” in 1992, he reckoned that the country’s floating-rate mortgages made it politically painful for Britain to raise interest rates to prop it up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Over the past two decades, employers have reckoned with the challenges parents face in balancing childcare with work, with about 46% offering paid parental leave, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

"And then they brought up lots of upgrades, so they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the following races."

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

I must have dimly realized that Harry would marry one day and have a family of his own, but I reckoned it wouldn’t happen for decades, at least.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

The case could be "the beginning of a broader reckoning" for Meta, Nora Freeman Engstrom told AFP via email.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The reckoning was swift: Harding resigned from his job and his marriage fell apart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

But many women say another reckoning played out online.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

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 suggest we begin our forest journey as soon as we can. It will be noon in about an hour, by my reckoning."

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

• calculate
• look upon
• take account of