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.
Experts point to three main reasons for the relatively steady prices but caution that a reckoning is not too far off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Experts point at three main reasons for the steady prices but caution that a reckoning is not too far as the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
"For two and a half years, we've watched organisations close ranks, mark their own homework, and the inquiry must be the true reckoning."
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
That betrayal may have triggered a political and criminal reckoning on both sides of the border.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
This was a sentiment that I agreed with, particularly since I had not had a good night’s sleep the previous night—having been awoken at three a.m. and told 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.
