calculate
Americanverb (used with object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
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calculated,
past participle, past
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calculating
present participle
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to determine or ascertain by mathematical methods; compute.
to calculate the velocity of light.
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to determine by reasoning, common sense, or practical experience; estimate; evaluate; gauge.
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to make suitable or fit for a purpose; adapt (usually used passively and with an infinitive).
His remarks were calculated to inspire our confidence.
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Chiefly Northern U.S.
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to think; guess.
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to intend; plan.
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verb (used without object)
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calculates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
calculated,
past participle, past
-
calculating
present participle
-
to make a computation or form an estimate.
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to count or rely (usually followed by on orupon ).
They calculated on good weather.
verb
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to solve (one or more problems) by a mathematical procedure; compute
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to determine beforehand by judgment, reasoning, etc; estimate
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(tr; usually passive) to design specifically; aim
the car was calculated to appeal to women
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to depend; rely
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dialect (tr; may take a clause as object)
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to suppose; think
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to intend (to do something)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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calculatesimple
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calculatessimple
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have calculatedperfect
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has calculatedperfect
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am calculatingprogressive
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are calculatingprogressive
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is calculatingprogressive
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have been calculatingperfect progressive
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has been calculatingperfect progressive
Past
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calculatedsimple
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had calculatedperfect
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was calculatingprogressive
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were calculatingprogressive
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had been calculatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of calculate
First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin calculātus “reckoned,” past participle of calculāre “to reckon,” derivative of calculus “pebble”; see calculus
Explanation
To calculate is to compute, by figuring out a mathematical equation or a situation. You can calculate your monthly student loan payments, or calculate the risk of not paying them on time. Calculate derives from the Latin word for "count." When you calculate, you either count something up or calculate on something happening. You might be able to calculate the answer to a simple equation in your head but need a calculator to figure out a more complex problem. And when someone is calculating, they are scheming or conniving, always figuring out the fastest way to get ahead.
Vocabulary lists containing calculate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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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 switch could be to a chained COLA, which is a more complicated way to calculate annual adjustments.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
The board will also calculate the amount of wealth subject to the tax using publicly available stock information and private assessments of personal property, such as artwork and jewelry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
By monitoring how gas concentrations changed inside these chambers, the researchers could determine whether the soil was absorbing methane and calculate how much was being removed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
A portion of its data is used alongside consumer-inflation numbers to calculate the price index of personal-consumption expenditures, the Fed’s preferred inflation metric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
In principle, this provided a way to calculate the distance to the Sun by a variation on the theme of parallax, but these early observations were not accurate enough for the results to be definitive.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
The enhanced angle-of-attack system calculates the angle of the plane’s nose versus sensor readings on the aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Investors should also remember that pullbacks are typical, with the average maximum drawdown during Year 5 of 14%, Lerner calculates.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Sarah Godwin calculates it cost her family's Wiltshire farm "over £100,000".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Nobody calculates how hungry they are with their entrée still twenty minutes away.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
“You might be able to find her. She would be”—Molly calculates in her head—“in her late sixties, right? She could very well be alive.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
“For the NFL, the blowback was a calculated risk as the league makes a push to globalize its fan base.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
To test whether such a likelihood exists, I calculated each month’s maximum possible rally potential.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
While the full amount of the penalty against Meta, based on thousands of violations of state law, was calculated as $219bn, Judge Mathew reduced the penalty to the $25bn fine.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The researchers calculated the expected return using three different commonly used financial models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
I calculated my grade point average, 3.77, and prayed and hoped that my counselor was right.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Von Foerster and his co-authors then projected these historical figures into the future, calculating that thanks to ever-increasing growth, in the year 2026 our numbers would near infinity.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Scientists use this threshold to determine which areas qualify as ice-covered when calculating the total "sea ice extent."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Journal’s analysis omitted Tesla when calculating aggregates and trends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Companies are also taking a hard look at pricier expedited orders, calculating whether some customers can wait or even if some can pick up their orders themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
The time-freezing, Clock-Watcher-dominating, cruel and calculating villain of the day was fading like smoke.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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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.
