computing
Americannoun
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the use of a computer to process data or perform calculations.
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the act of calculating or reckoning.
noun
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the activity of using computers and writing programs for them
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the study of computers and their implications
adjective
Etymology
Origin of computing
Explanation
Computing is the act of calculating something––adding it up, multiplying it, or doing more complex math functions to it. Computers are named for this process, because they can compute faster than most people. The verb compute comes from a Latin word for pruning. You can think of it like cleaning up piles of data to get a clear result. If you run a shop and have lots of figures, for items sold and returned, and money paid for salaries and overhead, then you'll have to do some computing to know how much money you actually earned that day. It's also a type of engineering.
Vocabulary lists containing computing
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.
“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
Bonds, too, were showing a shakeout, rather than a wipeout, for AI computing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
This unusual ability is central to the potential power of quantum computing.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
There was work, sleep, and a fife shaped around computing, technology, and the Net.
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.
