computation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the process of calculating a result, often using a computer or complex math.
the act or mathematical process of computing; a systematic calculation or reckoning.
Simple“The computer needs a few seconds to finish the computation of the data.”
In context“Modern cryptography relies on the fact that certain mathematical computations are practically impossible for current hardware to solve in a reasonable timeframe.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general process of calculating.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the final amount or answer you get after doing math.
the specific result or numerical value obtained through the process of computing.
Simple“If his computations are correct, we should have enough money for the project.”
In context“The engineer double-checked her computations to ensure the bridge could withstand the projected wind loads during a storm.”
UsageCommonly used as a countable noun when referring to specific sets of results.
“A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ) suggests that individual human neurons can carry out far more complex computations than neurons in other mammals.”
“Performing computations will require a lot of operations on qubits, and it’s possible that those operations could have a different hierarchy of errors.”
From late Middle English computacioun, from Middle French computation, from Latin computatiō, from computare (“sum up, reckon, compute”); see compute. Morphologically compute + -ation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.