reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈre-kən How to pronounce reckon (audio)
reckoned; reckoning ˈre-kə-niŋ How to pronounce reckon (audio)
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 timeEllen 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Residents in the 1900 block of Payne Street, where the Givaudan Sense Colour factory is located, are reckoning with damage to their homes after they were cleared to return from an evacuation order Tuesday. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024 Democrats nationwide are reckoning with their staggering losses and what that means for the party's brand and strategy. Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024 The company, then Facebook, was reckoning with a slowdown in ad pricing growth, caused by a shortfall in data needed to train its system that personalized ads and other content for users. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024 Below, in an exclusive excerpt from Rage shared with PEOPLE, Brathwaite reckons with our culture's response to living in our modern age. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reckon 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of reckon was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near reckon

Cite this Entry

“Reckon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reckon. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

reckon

verb
reck·​on ˈrek-ən How to pronounce reckon (audio)
reckoned; reckoning -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce reckon (audio)
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

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