calculator

noun

cal·​cu·​la·​tor ˈkal-kyə-ˌlā-tər 

: one that calculates: such as

a

: a usually electronic device for performing mathematical calculations

b

: a person who operates a calculator

Examples of calculator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dallas Cowboys’ playoff chances take big hit Entering the game Thursday, per a playoff calculator, the Cowboys’ chances of making the postseason with a win against the Lions increased to 41 percent. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025

The National Weather Service also has a wind chill calculator available online. —Dan Basso, Freep.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Writing diminished the importance of memory, and calculators devalued basic arithmetic skills, as the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah recently wrote in this magazine. —Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025

Some 340,000 accountants have already left their calculators behind and quit in the past five years, and some estimates suggest that 75% of those remaining are expected to exit in the next decade. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English calkelatour "one who counts or computes, mathematician," borrowed from Latin calculātōr-, calculātor "teacher of arithmetic," from calculā- (attested in Late Latin as the stem of calculāre "to count, calculate") + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing calculator

• pocket calculator

Rhymes for calculator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Kids Definition

calculator

noun

cal·​cu·​la·​tor ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt-ər 

1

: one that calculates

2

: a usually small electronic device for making mathematical calculations