calculation
Pluralcalculations (some meanings)
- 1The work of figuring out a number or amount using math.
Like adding up the prices of your groceries in your head before you reach the register.
Quick calculation showed she had enough money for both tickets.
He used a calculator to speed up the calculation.
Similarcomputation, reckoning, arithmetic
Note
- 2The number or answer you get after doing math.
Like the total printed at the bottom of a shopping receipt.
Her calculation showed the trip would cost two hundred dollars.
His calculation was wrong, so the bridge plan had to be redone.
Similarcomputation, result, sum
Note
- 3A guess about a number or amount, based on what you know.
Like guessing how many candies are in a jar by looking at it.
By my calculation, we should arrive before dark.
Their calculation of the crowd size was close to the real number.
Similarestimate, reckoning, assessment, estimation, judgment
- 4What you expect to happen, based on the things around you.
Like expecting rain because the sky has turned gray.
His calculation was that prices would drop after the holidays.
Their calculation that help would arrive soon kept everyone calm.
Similarexpectation, forecast, prediction, assumption, bet
- 5Thinking through possible moves and replies in your head before you play them.
Like planning your next few moves in checkers before you touch a piece.
Good calculation helps a chess player avoid traps.
She won the game through careful calculation of every move.
Similaranalysis
Note
Practice
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Origin
It comes from Latin "calculatio," and can be seen as "calculate" plus "-ion."