calculation

noun

cal·​cu·​la·​tion ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

1

a

: the process or an act of calculating

b

: the result of an act of calculating

2

a

: studied care in analyzing or planning

b

: cold heartless planning to promote self-interest

calculational

ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of calculation

• math
• arithmetic
• computation
• mathematics
• numbers

Examples of calculation in a Sentence

According to experts' calculations, that star will explode within two billion years.

The computer can do millions of calculations each second.

Careful calculation is required to determine the required amount of fuel.

The book reveals the cold calculations that were behind the government's policies.

His positions are based on political calculation of what voters want to hear.

Recent Examples on the Web

That is the inverse of learning that two ESG raters disagree without being able to reconstruct the company-level calculations that created the gap. — Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

The Athletic’s calculations should serve as a good guide, but are unlikely to be perfect. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 July 2026

OpenAI needs to spin up roughly $100 billion in free cash flow by 2030, according to calculations by Harrison Rolfes of PitchBook. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026

The chip would permanently embed parts of Gemini’s architecture directly into the silicon, reducing the number of calculations and amount of data movement required to answer queries, according to the news outlet. — Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English calculacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French calculacione, borrowed from Late Latin calculātiōn-, calculātiō, from calculāre "to count, calculate" + Latin -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for calculation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

calculation

noun

cal·​cu·​la·​tion ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

1

a

: the process or an act of calculating

b

: the result obtained by calculation

2

: care in planning : caution