compute
Americanverb (used with object)
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computes,
present (3rd person singular)
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computed,
past participle, past
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computing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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computes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
computed,
past participle, past
-
computing
present participle
-
to reckon; calculate.
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to use a computer or calculator.
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Informal. to make sense; add up.
His reasons for doing that just don't compute.
noun
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Outer space is vast beyond compute.
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the processing, memory, and storage resources required for a computer, network, or program to function.
To meet today's business demands, you need a solid foundation of compute.
adjective
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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computabilitynoun
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computistnoun
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uncomputablenessnoun
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miscomputeverb
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precomputeverb
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recomputeverb (used with object)
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computableadjective
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uncomputableadjective
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uncomputedadjective
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computablyadverb
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uncomputablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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computesimple
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computessimple
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have computedperfect
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has computedperfect
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am computingprogressive
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are computingprogressive
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is computingprogressive
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have been computingperfect progressive
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has been computingperfect progressive
Past
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computedsimple
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had computedperfect
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was computingprogressive
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were computingprogressive
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had been computingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of compute
First recorded in 1375–1425, for an earlier sense; 1580–90 compute for def. 6; (for the verb) from Latin computāre, from com- com- + putāre “to think”; (for the noun) late Middle English from Middle French from Late Latin computus “calculation, number,” noun derivative of computāre; cf. count 1, putative
Explanation
When you solve a mathematical problem, you compute the answer. To compute is to calculate, either literally or figuratively. Computers do the math for you, faster than humans ever can. You'll often hear someone say that something "does not compute." This means it doesn't add up, it doesn't make sense. You might compute how long it will take you to get to school or the likelihood that your mother will let you stay out late.
Vocabulary lists containing compute
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 4
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The Number System
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Number and Operations: Fractions
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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.
See Examples For:
Another point Privorotsky makes is that if the expansion of future compute is constrained, then the value of existing, energized compute rises as a consequence.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
This would probably come alongside a collapse in demand for new chips and a flood of secondhand chips or cut-price compute hitting the market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
If compute prices sank because of decreased demand or increased supply, the trades would pay out, hedging an option buyer against losses in other parts of its business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Big exchanges and trading firms are also looking to launch a web of derivatives tied to compute, as it is known in the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
“It did not compute in my kid brain.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The new model lets users download and customise the parameters, or "weights", that determine how it computes to their own servers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, the combined 609 lb-ft of torque computes to 4,400 pounds’ towing capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
With quantum computers, it will be possible to run massive computes to see how different molecules react with each other to find out what works and with what side-effects.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Google’s Willow chip matters not because of what it computes, but because of how it’s made — using industrial-grade fabrication that looks more like semiconductor manufacturing than a bespoke physics experiment.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025
And during that week after his birthday, Mama Nee is working third shift, so that computes to just about every night.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
They then transported the containers to a laboratory for X-ray computed tomography, or XCT scanning.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Price said newer security machines that TSA is installing to replace traditional X-ray machines have computed tomography capabilities, which "can do a much better job of detecting liquid-based explosives".
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“I computed the statistics,” he says, “and decided it was fifty-fifty.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Somewhere in a Google lab, a chip called Willow just computed the structure of a molecule 13,000 times faster than the most powerful supercomputer on Earth.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025
Jesse had computed how many paychecks they would get—two for him and four for Eric—if they waited a month before leaving.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
“Available capacity could simply serve demand elsewhere,” Prosor said, noting that demand for computing power is global and that “big cloud companies are building around the world.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
It has reportedly been looking to raise a whopping $100 billion this month to buy the chips and other equipment for its computing needs, which could have valued the start-up at up to $2 trillion.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
In July, Brookfield agreed to invest $9 billion in artificial intelligence computing infrastructure as part of a partnership with Nvidia and Korean internet company Naver.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
This unusual ability is central to the potential power of quantum computing.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
The school’s computing school was one of the hottest in the country, the admissions counselor said, and Eric would be up against kids with outstanding grades and achievements.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
