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calculate

verbattested in dialogue

  • //ˈkælkjʊleɪt//
  • //ˈkælkjəleɪt//

To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process.

verb

  1. 1

    To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process.

    Calculate the square root of 3 to 10 decimal places.

  2. 2

    To determine values or solutions by a mathematical process; reckon.

  3. 3

    To plan; to expect; to think.

    I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal’lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.

  4. 4

    To ascertain or predict by mathematical or astrological computations the time, circumstances, or other conditions of; to forecast or compute the character or consequences of.

    to calculate or cast one’s nativity

    A cunning man did calculate my birth.

  5. 5

    To adjust for purpose; to adapt by forethought or calculation; to fit or prepare by the adaptation of means to an end.

    to calculate a system of laws for the government and protection of a free people

    [Religion] is […] calculated for our benefit.

    The Authority may do anything that it considers is calculated to facilitate, or is incidental or conducive to, the carrying out of any of its functions.

  6. 6

    To imagine sequences of potential moves and responses without actually moving the pieces.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin calculātus, perfect passive participle of calculō (“to reckon, compute, calculate”, originally by means of pebbles) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from calculus (“a pebble”), further from calx (“limestone”, calc- in compounds) + -ulus (forms diminutives).

Forms

past tense
calculated
past participle
calculated
present participle
calculating
third person singular
calculates
The neighbouring pagesAlphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.

Lexical content from Wiktionary, under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source entry · Data version 2026-08-23

Rank among the words of the OpenSubtitles 2018 corpus — film and television subtitles, so spoken rather than written usage (CC BY-SA 3.0).