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
Meta and Google, whose profit mainly comes from digital advertising; Amazon, the largest online retailer and cloud-computing provider; and Microsoft, the biggest seller of business software, are each dominant in their industries and have ample cash cushions.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Growth in the cloud computing unit was the largest since the 28 percent increase seen in the third quarter of 2022.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
For many years, scientists have looked to the human brain to develop AI and address issues such as computing bottlenecks.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
OpenAI says the new model runs 25% faster than the previous version and achieves state-of-the-art performance while using fewer computing resources.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compute
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Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Growth in the cloud computing unit was the largest since the 28 percent increase seen in the third quarter of 2022.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
For many years, scientists have looked to the human brain to develop AI and address issues such as computing bottlenecks.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
OpenAI says the new model runs 25% faster than the previous version and achieves state-of-the-art performance while using fewer computing resources.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 5 Feb. 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 10 Feb. 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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