Definition of calculation
1a : the process or an act of calculatingb : the result of an act of calculating
2a : studied care in analyzing or planningb : cold heartless planning to promote self-interest
From the M-W Editors
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 of calculation from the Web
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The government would contribute about 6.6 billion euros, according to a Bank of Italy calculation, with the rest covered by creditors.
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Calculations suggest withdrawal could result in emissions of up to 3 billion tons of additional carbon dioxide in the air a year — enough to melt ice sheets faster, raise seas higher and trigger more extreme weather.
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Calculations by William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer, show the non-white share of the eligible voter population rose to 31 percent in 2016, a two-point gain from 2012.
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The standard proffered by a bipartisan group of voting advocates is a straightforward mathematical calculation.
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Its accelerating missile development has complicated Pentagon calculations, most recently by incorporating solid-fuel technology into its rockets.
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Of course, the main calculation for politicians when making decisions is whether or not those decisions will help tighten their grip on the levers of society.
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For NCAA postseason purposes, the selection committee counted UM’s record as 30-27, as its April 5 victory against St. Thomas University, an NAIA school, could not count in the calculations of the Hurricanes’ winning percentage.
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The incredible part is that Goldman Sachs acknowledges that its calculations may underestimate the extent of China’s debt buildup.
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.
14th Century
First Known Use of calculation
14th century
CALCULATION Defined for English Language Learners
calculation
playDefinition of calculation for English Language Learners
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: a process or result of calculating something
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: careful thought and planning that is done usually for selfish reasons
CALCULATION Defined for Kids
calculation
playDefinition of calculation for Students
: the process or result of adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing Careful calculation is required. Our calculations indicate a slight increase.
Learn More about calculation
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See words that rhyme with calculation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for calculation Spanish Central: Translation of calculation Nglish: Translation of calculation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of calculation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about calculation
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