calculator

noun

cal·​cu·​la·​tor ˈkal-kyə-ˌlā-tər How to pronounce calculator (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to the Time and Date sunrise/sunset calculator, residents will get about 10-and-a-half hours of daylight — compared to more than 12 hours during the summer. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025 In some classrooms, students are even instructed to put their phones in what were once calculator pockets, in pouches meant for cell phones that lock or in plastic bins, where students are meant to collect the devices at the end of a class period or the end of the day. Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025 That kind of skeuomorphism—the design of a digital interface to resemble a physical one, by, for example, adding a faux-metal texture to a calculator app—has been out of fashion for more than a decade, ever since Apple moved away from it in the early twenty-tens. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025 Due to a coding error, a previous version of this interactive calculator incorrectly calculated certain taxes when an income, minus the standard deduction, equalled the ceiling of a particular tax bracket. Rob Wile, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for calculator

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of calculator was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Calculator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calculator. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

calculator

noun
cal·​cu·​la·​tor ˈkal-kyə-ˌlāt-ər How to pronounce calculator (audio)
1
: one that calculates
2
: a usually small electronic device for making mathematical calculations

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