- to calculate (an answer, result, etc), often with the aid of a computer
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
com•put•ing
(kəm pyo̅o̅′ting),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Computingthe use of a computer to process data or perform calculations.
- Computingthe act of calculating or reckoning.
- compute + -ing1 1640–50
com•pute /kəmˈpyut/USA pronunciation
v., -put•ed, -put•ing.
com•put•a•ble, adj.
com•put•ing, n. [uncountable]
com•put•ist /kəmˈpyutɪst, ˈkɑmpyʊ-/USA pronunciation n. [countable]See -pute-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [~ + object] to determine by calculation or by using a computer; calculate: Compute the distance from the earth to the moon.
- Computing to use a computer:[no object]He had been computing since 1978.
com•put•a•ble, adj.
com•put•ing, n. [uncountable]
com•put•ist /kəmˈpyutɪst, ˈkɑmpyʊ-/USA pronunciation n. [countable]See -pute-.
- compute is a verb, computer is a noun, computational is an adjective:Compute your average from the grades you have. The computer works too slowly. There were some difficult computational steps to follow in the experiment.
com•pute
(kəm pyo̅o̅t′),USA pronunciation v., -put•ed, -put•ing, n.
v.t.
v.i.
n.
com•put′a•ble, adj.
com•put′a•bil′i•ty, n.
com•put′a•bly, adv.
com•put•ist
(kəm pyo̅o̅′tist, kom′pyŏŏ-),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
- to determine by calculation; reckon;
calculate:to compute the period of Jupiter's revolution. - Computingto determine by using a computer or calculator.
v.i.
- to reckon;
calculate. - Computingto use a computer or calculator.
- Informal Termsto make sense;
add up:His reasons for doing that just don't compute.
n.
- computation:outer space that is vast beyond compute.
- Late Latin computus calculation, number, noun, nominal derivative of computāre; compare putative, count1
- Middle French
- Latin computāre, equivalent. to com- com- + putāre to think; (noun, nominal) late Middle English
- 1375–1425 for earlier sense; 1580–90 for def. 6; (verb, verbal)
com•put′a•bil′i•ty, n.
com•put′a•bly, adv.
- 1. estimate, count, figure.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
compute /kəmˈpjuːt/ vb
'computing' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
binary notation
- biocomputing
- characteristic
- clicks and mortar
- cloud
- distributed logic
- mean deviation
- mouse
- newbie
- octal notation
- punched card
- quantum computer
- take
- Turing machine
- VGA
- backsight
- base price
- bridge
- capitalization
- ceilometer
- computation
- counter
- depreciation
- direct labor
- flagrant
- folio
- indirect labor
- interface
- job-order costing
- microcomputing
- taximeter
- telecomputing