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
Its business is at the center of the AI economy—providing computing power to meet the voracious demand of the likes of Microsoft and OpenAI.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Google is building a data center on Australia’s remote Christmas Island off the coast of Indonesia, after inking a cloud-computing deal with Australia’s Department of Defense earlier this year, Reuters reported.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Among its prominent cloud computing customers was Saudi Aramco.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Without being able to compute directly from real stimuli, perceptual models could capture ideas in theory but fail simple real-world tests.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
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Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Google is building a data center on Australia’s remote Christmas Island off the coast of Indonesia, after inking a cloud-computing deal with Australia’s Department of Defense earlier this year, Reuters reported.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Among its prominent cloud computing customers was Saudi Aramco.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Without being able to compute directly from real stimuli, perceptual models could capture ideas in theory but fail simple real-world tests.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compute
Cite this Entry
“Compute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compute. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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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