as in math
the act or process of performing mathematical operations to find a value
by my calculus the more efficient air conditioner will have paid for itself within a span of five years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of calculus
Part of the calculus was recognizing how much affection people still had for both the characters in the movie and the actors who played the characters in the movie and an assessment of what a reunion of those characters would feel like.
—
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Considering the tension that swept through the third floor of the TCO Performance Center in the months leading up to Adofo-Mensah’s removal, this should not be taken for granted in ownership’s overall calculus.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The cancer reweighted his psychic calculus.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
There’s also the potential that the political calculus changes as the full economic and budgetary impact of the war in Iran becomes apparent.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calculus
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
Considering the tension that swept through the third floor of the TCO Performance Center in the months leading up to Adofo-Mensah’s removal, this should not be taken for granted in ownership’s overall calculus.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The cancer reweighted his psychic calculus.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
There’s also the potential that the political calculus changes as the full economic and budgetary impact of the war in Iran becomes apparent.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calculus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calculus
Noun
-
In a town of fewer than 2,000 people where 75 homes were damaged or destroyed, the math is devastating — but the fact that no lives were lost and no pets remain missing tells you something about what this community did in its worst moment.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The highest enrollment was likely in 1909, with some 90 students studying bookkeeping, telegraphy, penmanship, math and English.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And that's when their calculations revealed that these animals were probably gargantuan — well larger than the giant Pacific octopus, today's biggest member of the family whose arm span often exceeds 13 feet.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The team evaluated the size of the ancient octopuses using allometric calculation—a method that used the proportional growth rates of modern, long-bodied finned octopuses to extrapolate the size of their extinct relatives.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The arithmetic does not come close to closing a gap of this magnitude even under the most optimistic assumptions.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
-
That figure is the cold arithmetic of economic gravity.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calculus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calculus. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
