calculation

English

Etymology

From Middle English calculation, borrowed from Latin calculatio, calculationis. Morphologically calculate +‎ -ion

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kælkjuˈleɪʃən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /kælkjəˈleɪʃən/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /kælkjəˈlæɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

calculation (countable and uncountable, plural calculations)

1. (mathematics, uncountable) The act or process of calculating.
2. (mathematics, countable) The result of calculating.
   • 1962, Hugh D. Young, chapter 3, in Statistical Treatment of Experimental Data, →ISBN, page 53:

     As a check on these calculations we note that the total probability for 0, 1, 2, or 3 successes must be one since there are no other possibilities.

   • 2012 January, Michael Riordan, “Tackling Infinity”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 30 April 2013, page 86:

     Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories.

3. (countable) Reckoning, estimate.

   By my calculation, we should be there by midnight.

4. (countable) An expectation based on circumstances.
5. (chess, uncountable) The act or process of imagining sequences of potential moves and responses without actually moving the pieces.

Synonyms

• (act or process of calculating): computation, evaluation, reckoning (old); see also Thesaurus:calculation
• (Result of calculation): sum
• (estimate): estimate, guess, reckoning, measurement
• (act or process of imagining sequences of moves): reading

Derived terms

Related terms

• calculable
• calculate
• calculator
• calculus

Translations

Anagrams

• auction call