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

The company opened a flurry of Fresh locations by 2022, but the expansion plans ran into CEO Andy Jassy's widespread cost-cutting efforts as the company reckoned with the impact of rising interest rates and soaring inflation. —Annie Palmer, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

Versant last month filed its first financial reckoning with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and while the breakaway entity is still generating plenty of cash, the flow has been disrupted by the ongoing rash of customer defections. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025

Forced to flee to an Albanian refugee camp with his family at the age of twelve after Serbian troops set fire to his village during the Kosovo War, Halilaj began making art at the suggestion of a psychologist at the camp as a way of reckoning with the trauma. —News Desk, Artforum, 3 Oct. 2025

Then, in the wake of George Floyd's viral murder and the national reckoning over Black lives, institutions like the Recording Academy began redressing their historic role in Black artists being criminally overlooked. —Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 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