computed; computing
: to determine especially by mathematical means
Compute the area of the triangle.
1
: to make calculation : reckon
They compute by weight in selling grain.
2
: to use a computer
3
informal
: to make sense
No matter how you do the math, it will not work. … It simply does not compute.—
Chuck Finder
Chuck FinderExamples of compute in a Sentence
for the test we were required to compute the answers without using a calculator
Recent Examples on the Web
Intel client computing head Jim Johnson gives CNBC’s Katie Tarasov an early look at its Panther Lake CPU in Santa Clara, California, on November 12, 2025.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
The Warner War is only a month or so old with Hollywood fervently trying to compute who will be the true winners or losers.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
The catalyst for the tumble was, once again, a story about the cloud computing giant Oracle.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
And Project Genesis, branded as a successor to the Manhattan Project and Apollo program, leverages public datasets and the computing infrastructure of the Department of Energy’s national labs to advance AI for science.
—Kenneth M. Evans, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compute
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Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
The Warner War is only a month or so old with Hollywood fervently trying to compute who will be the true winners or losers.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
The catalyst for the tumble was, once again, a story about the cloud computing giant Oracle.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
And Project Genesis, branded as a successor to the Manhattan Project and Apollo program, leverages public datasets and the computing infrastructure of the Department of Energy’s national labs to advance AI for science.
—Kenneth M. Evans, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compute
Cite this Entry
“Compute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compute. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
compute
verb
com·pute
kəm-ˈpyüt 
computed; computing
1
: to determine or calculate especially by mathematical means
also
: to determine or calculate by means of a computer
2
informal
: to make sense
computable
adjective
-ˈpyüt-ə-bəl
Etymology
from Latin computare "to count, compute" — related to account, count entry 1
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