computed; computing
: to determine especially by mathematical means
Compute the area of the triangle.
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
Chuck FinderExamples of compute in a Sentence
for the test we were required to compute the answers without using a calculator
Recent Examples on the Web
Reports of passenger assaults began dropping in 2025, although not enough data has been released for last year to compute complete, comparable rates among the systems.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
That compares to the current level of 35 ZFLOPs, the report said, referring to a measure of computing speed.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iranian drone strikes on Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the UAE set a new precedent for calculating the risk of storing information and computing power in the Gulf.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The legislation also would establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, designed to make computing resources, datasets and infrastructure available to students, researchers, non-profits, small businesses and academic institutions.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compute
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Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
That compares to the current level of 35 ZFLOPs, the report said, referring to a measure of computing speed.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iranian drone strikes on Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the UAE set a new precedent for calculating the risk of storing information and computing power in the Gulf.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The legislation also would establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, designed to make computing resources, datasets and infrastructure available to students, researchers, non-profits, small businesses and academic institutions.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compute
Cite this Entry
“Compute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compute. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
-ˈpyüt-ə-bəl
Etymology
from Latin computare "to count, compute" — related to account, count entry 1
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