reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈre-kən 

reckoned; reckoning ˈre-kə-niŋ 

ˈrek-niŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: count

reckon the days till Christmas

b

: estimate, compute

reckon the height of a building

c

: to determine by reference to a fixed basis

the existence of the U.S. is reckoned from the Declaration of Independence

2

: to regard or think of as : consider

3

chiefly dialectal : think, suppose

I reckon I've outlived my time

—Ellen Glasgow

intransitive verb

1

: to settle accounts

2

: to make a calculation

3

a

: judge

b

chiefly dialectal : suppose, think

4

: to accept something as certain : place reliance

I reckon on your promise to help

Phrases

reckon with

: to take into consideration

reckon without

: to fail to consider : ignore

Synonyms

• estimate
• guess
• suppose
• figure
• calculate
• make
• put

Examples of reckon in a Sentence

I reckon that we'll have to leave early.

Do you reckon you'll be able to go to the grocery store after work?

We'll have to leave early, I reckon.

They reckoned that they would reach their destination by noon.

Losses were reckoned to be over a million dollars.

Recent Examples on the Web

As their mismatched personalities stir tension with each other — and the group — old resentments bubble up, forcing them to reckon with their relationship and the lives waiting for them back home. —Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025

That shift has made Allen’s idea sound less like an outsider’s provocation and more like part of a broader reckoning with what the school has become. —Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025

Inside, a cartography of the empire’s carbon emissions since 1750 forces the viewer to reckon with the scale of the harm caused to both earth and people. —Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025

And 25 years after his peak, Kerr is reckoning with that legendary status, finally at ease in the feeling that everything has come full circle. —Rory Doherty, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rekenen, from Old English -recenian (as in gerecenian to narrate); akin to Old English reccan

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing reckon

• a force to reckon with
• a man/woman/person to reckon with
• reckon on
• reckon up

Rhymes for reckon

• beckon

Kids Definition

reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈrek-ən 

reckoned; reckoning -(ə-)niŋ 

1

a

: count entry 1 sense 1a, compute

reckon the days till her birthday

b

: to estimate by calculating

reckon the height of a building

2

: consider sense 3, regard

was reckoned among the leaders

3

chiefly dialect : think sense 2, suppose

4

: to look forward to as certain : depend

reckon on support

reckoner

-(ə-)nər

noun