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.
Hungary is scheduled to release communist-era secret police files Wednesday, identifying tens of thousands of former informants in a long-delayed reckoning with the central European country's repressive past.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
England edged towards a World Cup exit after their points chase against Papua New Guinea descended into a chaotic and error-strewn 34-12 victory that will almost certainly prove insufficient in the final reckoning.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
I still think the debt-fueled AI build-out will eventually face a true reckoning.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
The process, Treuer suggests, begins with a willingness to look beyond oneself in the service of a broader reckoning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
I called the waiter, paid the reckoning, got into my coat, put on my hat and started out the door.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
