compute

verb

com·​pute kəm-ˈpyüt 

computed; computing

transitive verb

: to determine especially by mathematical means

Compute the area of the triangle.

also : to determine or calculate by means of a computer

computing pi to over one billion places

intransitive verb

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

Synonyms of compute

• calculate
• figure

Examples of compute in a Sentence

for the test we were required to compute the answers without using a calculator

Recent Examples on the Web

India relies heavily on foreign AI models and computing hardware, which makes its AI ambitions vulnerable to export control directives of other countries. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 July 2026

The profitability path requires either prices going up or compute and energy costs coming down faster than consumption grows. — Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

As major cloud computing companies such as Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon rush to build data centers around the globe to power new AI models and systems, the price of computer equipment and memory specifically has been skyrocketing. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 1 July 2026

Harris most recently served as the founder and CTO of Paradox Data, a computing infrastructure startup that Z Squared agreed to acquire a majority stake in earlier in June. — John Kell, Fortune, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin computare — more at count

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing compute

• pre-compute

Rhymes for compute

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute
• grapefruit

Kids 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

-ˈpyüt-ə-bəl

adjective

Etymology

from Latin computare "to count, compute" — related to account, count entry 1