calculate

English

Papers and electronic calculators are common tools for calculation.

Etymology

From Latin calculātus, perfect passive participle of calculō ‎(“I reckon, originally by means of pebbles”), from calculus ‎(“a pebble”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkælkjʊleɪt/, /ˈkælkjəleɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cal‧cu‧late

Verb

calculate ‎(third-person singular simple present calculates, present participle calculating, simple past and past participle calculated)

1. (transitive, mathematics) 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. (intransitive, mathematics) To determine values or solutions by a mathematical process; reckon.
3. (intransitive, US, dialect) To plan; to expect; to think.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     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. 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.
   • William Shakespeare

     A cunning man did calculate my birth.

   to calculate or cast one's nativity‎

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

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

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

Synonyms

• (determine value of or solution to): compute, reckon (old), work out
• (determine values or solutions): compute, reckon (old)

Derived terms

• calculating

Related terms

• calculation
• calculus
• calculator
• incalculable

Translations

(transitive) to determine value

• Arabic: حَسَبَ ‎(ḥasaba)
• Bulgarian: изчислявам (bg) ‎(izčisljavam), пресмятам (bg) ‎(presmjatam)
• Catalan: calcular (ca) (used in both standard Catalan and Algherese)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 計算 (zh), 计算 (zh) ‎(jìsuàn), 算 (zh) ‎(suàn), 計 (zh), 计 (zh) ‎(jì)

• Czech: spočítat
• Dutch: berekenen (nl), uitwerken (nl)
• Esperanto: kalkuli
• Finnish: laskea (fi)
• French: calculer (fr)
• German: kalkulieren (de), berechnen (de), ausrechnen (de)
• Greek: υπολογίζω (el) ‎(ypologízo), λογαριάζω (el) ‎(logariázo)
• Hebrew: חישב ‎(khishév)
• Hungarian: kiszámít (hu)
• Italian: calcolare (it)
• Japanese: 計算する (ja) ‎(けいさんする, keisan suru)
• Norman: caltchuler

• Korean: 정산하다 ‎(jeongsanhada), 계산하다 (ko) ‎(gyesanhada)
• Lao: ຄຳນວນ (lo) ‎(kham nūan)
• Maori: tatau
• Polish: wyliczać, kalkulować
• Portuguese: calcular (pt)
• Romanian: calcula (ro), socoti (ro)
• Russian: вычисля́ть (ru) impf ‎(vyčisljátʹ), счита́ть (ru) impf ‎(sčitátʹ), подсчи́тывать (ru) impf ‎(podsčítyvatʹ)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: calculai, carculai, calcurà

  Logudorese: calculare, carculare

• Sassarese: calcurà
• Scottish Gaelic: tomhais
• Serbo-Croatian: kalkulirati (sh), izračunati (sh)
• Spanish: calcular (es)
• Swedish: beräkna (sv), räkna ut
• Tagalog: tayahin, magtaya

(intransitive) determine values or solutions

• Arabic: حَسَبَ ‎(ḥasaba)
• Burmese: တွက် (my) ‎(twak)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 計算 (zh), 计算 (zh) ‎(jìsuàn)

• Dutch: rekenen (nl), uitwerken (nl)
• Finnish: laskea (fi)
• French: calculer (fr)
• German: rechnen (de)
• Hungarian: számol (hu), számítást végez
• Italian: calcolare (it)
• Japanese: 計算する (ja) ‎(けいさんする, keisan suru), 算定する ‎(さんていする, santei suru), 算出する ‎(さんしゅつする, sanshutsu suru), 見積もる ‎(みつもる, mitsumoru)

• Norman: caltchuler
• Korean: 계산하다 (ko) ‎(gyesanhada)
• Maori: tatau
• Portuguese: calcular (pt)
• Romanian: calcula (ro)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: calculai, carculai

  Logudorese: calculare, carculare

• Sassarese: calcurà
• Sicilian: calcular
• Spanish: calcular (es)
• Swedish: räkna (sv) (count; do calculations in general), beräkna (sv), räkna ut (calculate a specific answer)

(intransitive) plan

• Czech: kalkulovat
• Dutch: plannen (nl), uitwerken (nl)
• Finnish: suunnitella (fi), laskelmoida
• German: kalkulieren (de), sich etwas ausrechnen
• Hungarian: kikalkulál, kitervel (hu)

• Japanese: たくらむ (ja) ‎(takuramu)
• Korean: 꾀하다 ‎(kkoehada)
• Spanish: (transitive) calcular (es)
• Swedish: beräkna (sv), räkna ut

External links

• calculate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• calculate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Latin

Verb

calculāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of calculō
   1. "calculate ye, compute ye"
   2. (figuratively) "consider ye as, esteem ye"

Participle

calculāte

1. vocative masculine singular of calculātus