calculation

noun

cal·cu·la·tion | \ ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Definition of calculation

1a : the process or an act of calculating

b : the result of an act of calculating

2a : studied care in analyzing or planning

b : cold heartless planning to promote self-interest

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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

As for those who have no homes at all, figuring out how to secure shelter is bound to involve even tougher and riskier calculations. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, "Hurricane Florence leaves homeless population to face even more uncertainties," 13 Sep. 2018 Now multiply those calculations by every purchase a person makes. — Maya Singer, Vogue, "Is There Really Such a Thing as “Ethical Consumerism?”," 4 Feb. 2019 Based on researchers' calculations, 5 to 13 million metric tons of plastic make it to our oceans every year. — Marisa Spyker, ajc, "This is where you’re most likely to find lost pirate treasure, according to the Cousteaus," 3 July 2018 Under the new law, the calculations of a plaintiff’s future earnings can no longer take into account the person’s race or ethnicity. — Hillary Borrud, The Seattle Times, "New Oregon laws take effect Jan. 1," 31 Dec. 2018 Depending on the race, many variables may enter into legislators’ calculations of whom to support for a leadership office. — Matthew Green, Vox, "Election Day is over. Now who will lead Congress?," 12 Nov. 2018 This doesn't include calculations of sales tax revenue to the city from any increased business due to the festivals. — Jen Fifield, azcentral, "City strips down festivities at Glendale Glitters to cut costs," 26 June 2018 That’s based on calculations of Krzanich’s severance agreements, disclosed in Intel’s 2017 proxy statement. — Lucinda Shen, Fortune, "Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Resigned. Here's How Much His Severance May Be," 21 June 2018 His tweets move markets and alter the calculations of foreign powers. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "This 1990 Donald Trump quote in Playboy magazine explains today perfectly," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calculation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near calculation

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Last Updated

21 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for calculation

The first known use of calculation was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for calculation

calculation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of calculation

: a process or result of calculating something

: careful thought and planning that is done usually for selfish reasons

See the full definition for calculation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

calculation

noun

cal·cu·la·tion | \ ˌkal-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Kids Definition of calculation

: the process or result of adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing Careful calculation is required. Our calculations indicate a slight increase.