Word
reckoning
Phoneticsreck·on·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹɛkənɪŋ/
UK/ɹˈɛkənɪŋ/
Definitions
01calculation
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. the act of calculating or estimating a number or amount.
n. the process of calculating or estimating something, often involving numerical data or navigation.
“By my reckoning, we should arrive at the station in about ten minutes.”
“By the navigator's reckoning, the vessel had drifted several miles off course during the overnight storm.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'by my reckoning' to introduce a personal estimate.
Synonyms
02facing consequences
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a time when you must deal with the results of your past actions, especially bad ones.
n. the process of dealing with or being punished for past mistakes or misdeeds.
“After years of lying to his family, he finally faced a day of reckoning.”
“The company's aggressive expansion led to a painful financial reckoning when the market eventually cooled.”
Teaching tip
Commonly appears in the fixed expression 'day of reckoning' to imply a final moment of truth or judgment.
Synonyms
03a bill or check
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · British English
n. an old word for a bill at a restaurant or hotel.
n. a statement of money owed for food, drink, or lodging.
“The traveler asked the innkeeper for the reckoning before he left at dawn.”
“Having finished their ale, the men called for the reckoning and prepared for the long walk home.”
Usage
This sense is rarely used in modern speech and is primarily found in historical fiction or period literature.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “reckoning” in context.
Verb
01. escape reckoning
“He fled the country to escape reckoning for his involvement in the scandal.”
verb + noun
02. face reckoning
“Politicians must eventually face reckoning for the promises they break.”
verb + noun
03. hasten reckoning
“The sudden market crash hastened reckoning for over-leveraged investors.”
verb + noun
04. postpone reckoning
“The bailout only served to postpone reckoning for the failing bank.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. final reckoning
“In the final reckoning, the dictator was held accountable for his crimes.”
adj + noun
06. grim reckoning
“The report presents a grim reckoning for the future of the ecosystem.”
adj + noun
07. moral reckoning
“The nation is undergoing a moral reckoning regarding its colonial past.”
adj + noun
08. painful reckoning
“The company faces a painful reckoning after years of financial mismanagement.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. day of reckoning
“The day of reckoning has arrived for the tech giant's privacy violations.”
noun + prep + noun
10. avoid the inevitable reckoning
“They tried to hide the losses to avoid the inevitable reckoning with shareholders.”
11. bring about a reckoning
“The whistleblower's testimony helped bring about a reckoning within the agency.”
12. long-overdue reckoning
“The movement sparked a long-overdue reckoning with systemic inequality.”
Real-World Examples
“Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.” “Spread across six episodes, the series juggles two timelines – 1968 in Saskatchewan; 1985 in Montreal – tracking one family’s rupture; and the decades-long reckoning that follows.” Etymology
A gerund formed from reckon with the addition of the suffix -ing; compare Dutch rekening and German Rechnung.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. Dutch reckoning
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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