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

At the start of the year Trump’s tariffs cost the typical family of four about $480 a year, according to calculations by the right leaning Tax Foundation and The Washington Post. — Heather Long, Washington Post, "Trump probably has the upper hand in trade war — until September," 6 June 2019 Beyoncé, 37, has an individual net worth of more than $350 million, according to Forbes calculations. — NBC News, "Jay-Z is officially hip-hop's first billionaire, according to Forbes," 3 June 2019 Tech board applicants that posted profit in 2018 and 2017 saw corporate earnings grow by an average 76% last year, according to Bloomberg calculations. — Bloomberg.com, "China's New Nasdaq Is Only Taking Profitable Firms for Now," 27 May 2019 Based on calculations by the German market research company Roland Berger, the market volume of online platforms in Europe amounts to €22 billion ($25.6 billion). — Wolfgang Spahr, Billboard, "German Rights Body GEMA Applauds Europe-Wide Efforts to Curtail 'Parasitic' Value Models of Digital Services," 19 June 2018 With just over 75% of votes counted by Sunday evening, the coalition had won 73 of the 76 seats needed to form a majority government, according to calculations from the Australian Broadcasting Corp. — Trevor Marshallsea, The Seattle Times, "Australia’s leader vows to get back to work after shock win," 19 May 2019 China is Djibouti’s top financier—holding about half of the country’s public debt, according to bankers’ calculations based on International Monetary Fund numbers. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "China Tightens Grip on East African Port," 21 Feb. 2019 Global carbon dioxide emissions have increased 55 percent in the last 20 years, the calculations show. — Seth Borenstein, The Seattle Times, "Climate reality check: Global carbon pollution up in 2018," 5 Dec. 2018 But what was the calculation from your part, from being in this kind of dicey position? — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates explains how Donald Trump is trying to corrupt the Justice Department," 12 Nov. 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

13 Jun 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.