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
Derived 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.
A genuine efficiency breakthrough, or a pause in data-center capital spending, would reprice both sides of this market fast: relief for the consumer-facing companies, and a reckoning for suppliers valued for permanent scarcity.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
The dirt-bike culture of the 1970s eventually faced its own reckoning when misbehavior, noise complaints and safety concerns led to a spate of restrictions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
"I think there's going to be a reckoning in the next couple months," he told AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
There were some in SNP circles who thought the police had seriously overstepped and would eventually face a reckoning.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Well, this was the only good thing that had happened to me since Granny woke me up at three a.m. and told me that the day of reckoning had arrived.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
