reckon
- to count, compute, or calculate, as in number or amount.
- to esteem or consider; regard as: to be reckoned an authority in the field.
- Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. to think or suppose.
- to count; make a computation or calculation.
- to settle accounts, as with a person (often followed by up).
- to count, depend, or rely, as in expectation (often followed by on).
- Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. to think or suppose.
- reckon with,
- to include in consideration or planning; anticipate: He hadn't reckoned with so many obstacles.
- to deal with: I have to reckon with many problems every day.
Origin of reckon
Synonyms
See more synonyms for reckon on Thesaurus.comreckon
- to calculate or ascertain by calculating; compute
- (tr) to include; count as part of a set or classI reckon her with the angels
- (usually passive) to consider or regardhe is reckoned clever
- (when tr, takes a clause as object) to think or suppose; be of the opinionI reckon you don't know where to go next
- (intr foll by with) to settle accounts (with)
- (intr ; foll by with or without) to take into account or fail to take into accountthe bully reckoned without John's big brother
- (intr ; foll by on or upon) to rely or dependI reckon on your support in this crisis
- (tr) slang to regard as goodI don't reckon your chances of success
- (tr) informal to have a high opinion ofshe was sensitive to bad reviews, even from people she did not reckon
- to be reckoned with of considerable importance or influence
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for reckon with
reckon
v.
c.1200, recenen, from Old English gerecenian "to explain, relate, recount," from West Germanic *(ga)rekenojanan (cf. Old Frisian rekenia, Middle Dutch and Dutch rekenen, Old High German rehhanon, German rechnen, Gothic rahnjan "to count, reckon"), from Proto-Germanic *rakinaz "ready, straightforward," from PIE *reg- "to move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "direct in a straight line, rule" (see regal).
Intransitive sense "make a computation" is from c.1300. In I reckon, the sense is "hold an impression or opinion," and the expression, used parenthetically, dates from c.1600 and formerly was in literary use (Richardson, etc.), but came to be associated with U.S. Southern dialect and was regarded as provincial or vulgar. Related: Reckoned; reckoning.
Idioms and Phrases with reckon with
reckon with
1
Take into account, be prepared for, as in The third-party movement is a force to be reckoned with during the primaries. This usage was first recorded in 1885.
2
Deal with, as in Your lost wallet isn't the only problem we have to reckon with. Also see take into account.
reckon
In addition to the idiom beginning with reckon
also see: