Standard Lemma guide

calculator

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkæl.kjə.leɪ.tə(ɹ)/
  • General-American: /kæl.kjə.leɪ.tɚ/
  • General-American: [ˈkhæɫ.kjəˌleɪ̯.ɾɚ]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE1 L K Y AH0 L EY2 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mechanical or electronic device that performs mathematical calculations; (now usually) an electronic one specifically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • electronic calculator; pocket calculator
  • The calculator on a bookkeeper's desk in the 1950s was an adding machine with mechanical guts.
  • I told him to hand me a calculator and he jokingly placed an adding machine at my side.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: electronic calculator

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device, machine

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who performs mathematical calculation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Examples

  • During the war, his grandmother had worked at the Bletchley Park decoding station as a calculator.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: computer, reckoner

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who calculates (in the sense of scheming).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: schemer, plotter; manipulator
  • He revealed himself to be a cold-blooded calculator out to sabotage his colleagues.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: schemer, plotter, manipulator

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A set of mathematical tables.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ready reckoner

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a small machine that is used for mathematical calculations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calculating machine

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: machine

Narrower terms: abacus, adder, adding machine, totalizer, totaliser, counter, tabulator, hand calculator, pocket calculator, Napier's bones, Napier's rods, quipu, subtracter

6

noun

Meaning 6

an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reckoner, figurer, estimator, computer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: expert

Narrower terms: adder, number cruncher, statistician, actuary, subtracter

History

Etymology

In the sense of a person, from Middle English calkelatour (“a mathematician, an astrologer”), borrowed from Latin calculātor, equivalent to calculate + -or. The other meanings arose in Modern English.

Across languages

Translations

230 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: аԥхьаӡага (apxjadzaga) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Afrikaans: sakrekenaar — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Albanian: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Albanian: kalkulatriçe — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Albanian: llogaritës — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Albanian: makinë llogaritëse — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Albanian: njehsues — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Amharic: ካልኩሌተር (kalkuletär) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Arabic: حَاسِبَة (ḥāsiba) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Arabic: آلَة حَاسِبَة (ʔāla ḥāsiba) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Arabic: مِحْسَاب (miḥsāb) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܚܲܫܘܼܒ݂ܘܿܢܵܐ (ḥašūḇōnā) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Armenian: հաշվիչ (hašvičʻ) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Assamese: কেলকুলেটৰ (kelkuletor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Asturian: calculadora — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Azerbaijani: kalkulyator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Basque: kalkulagailu — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Belarusian: калькуля́тар (kalʹkuljátar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Bengali: ক্যালকুলেটর (kêlkuleṭor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Bulgarian: калкула́тор (kalkulátor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Burmese: ဂဏန်းတွက်စက် (ga.nan:twakcak) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Catalan: calculadora — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Cheyenne: hoéstónéó'o — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Cantonese: 計數機 /计数机 — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算器 /计算器 (jìsuànqì) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 電子計算器 /电子计算器 (diànzǐ jìsuànqì) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 電子計算機 /电子计算机 (diànzǐ jìsuànjī) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Czech: kalkulačka — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Czech: kalkulátor — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Czech: počítačka — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Danish: lommeregner — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Danish: regnemaskine — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: rekenmachine — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: zakrekenmachine — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: rekentoestel — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: calculator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Erzya: ловомапель (lovomapeľ) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Esperanto: kalkulilo — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Estonian: kalkulaator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Estonian: taskuarvuti — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Faroese: telduhvølpur — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Faroese: roknimaskina — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Finnish: laskin — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • French: calculatrice — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • French: calculette — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • West-Frisian: rekkenmasine — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • West-Frisian: bûsrekkenmasine — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Fula: 𞤳𞤭𞥅𞤥𞤭𞤪𞤺𞤢𞤤 — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Fula: 𞤼𞤮𞤲𞤺𞤭𞤪𞤣𞤫 — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Fula: kiimirgal — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Fula: tongirde — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Galician: calculadora — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Georgian: კალკულატორი (ḳalḳulaṭori) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • German: Rechner — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • German: Taschenrechner — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • German: Rächner — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • German: Tascherächner — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Greek: αριθμομηχανή (arithmomichaní) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Greek: κομπιουτεράκι (kompiouteráki) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Gujarati: કેલ્ક્યુલેટર (kelkyuleṭar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hawaiian: mīkini helu — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hebrew: מַחְשְׁבוֹן (makhshevón) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hindi: परिकलक (pariklak) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hindi: कैलकुलेटर (kailkuleṭar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hindi: परिकलित्र (pariklitra) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hungarian: számológép — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Icelandic: reiknivél — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Ido: kalkulatoro — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Indonesian: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Indonesian: mesin hitung — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Irish: áireamhán — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Italian: calcolatrice — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Japanese: 電卓 (dentaku) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Japanese: 計算機 (keisanki) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Kannada: ಲೆಕ್ಕರಣೆ (lekkaraṇe) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Kazakh: калькулятор (kalkulätor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Khmer: គណិតចរ (kĕəʼnetaʼ cɑɑ) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Khmer: ម៉ាស៊ីនគិតលេខ (maasɨn kɨt leek) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Korean: 계산기 (gyesan'gi) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Northern Kurdish: pêjimêrk — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Northern Kurdish: makîneya hesabê — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Kyrgyz: калькулятор (kalkulyator) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Lao: ຈັກຄິດໄລ່ (chak khit lai) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Lao: ເຄື່ອງຄິດເລກ (khư̄ang khit lēk) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Latin: māchinula calculātōria — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Latvian: kalkulators — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Lithuanian: kalkuliatorius — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Lithuanian: skaičiuotuvas — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Macedonian: сметач (smetač) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Macedonian: дигитро́н (digitrón) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Macedonian: калкула́тор (kalkulátor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Malagasy: mpikajy — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Malay: mesin kira — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Malay: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Malayalam: കാൽക്കുലേറ്റർ (kālkkulēṟṟaṟ) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Maltese: kalkulatur — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Maltese: maqjes — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Manx: co-earrooder — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Marathi: गणनयंत्र (gaṇanyantra) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Marathi: कॅल्क्युलेटर (kĕlkyuleṭar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Mongolian: тооны машин (toony mašin) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Norman: caltchuleux — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Odia: କାଲକୁଲେଟର (kālakuleṭara) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pali: saṅkhyāna — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pashto: شمېرماشين (šmermāšin) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Iranian Persian: ماشینِ حِساب (mâšin-e hesâb) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Iranian Persian: حِسابْگَر (hesâbgar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pohnpeian: kalkuleder — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pohnpeian: misihn en kapat — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Polish: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Portuguese: calculadora — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: calculator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: computer — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romansh: calculader — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romansh: calculatur — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romansh: calculatour — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romansh: quintader — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romansh: chintader — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: калькуля́тор (kalʹkuljátor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Sanskrit: गणकयन्त्रम् (gaṇakayantram) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Scottish Gaelic: àireamhair — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Serbo-Croatian: рачу̀на̄р — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Serbo-Croatian: рачу̀нало — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Serbo-Croatian: račùnār — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Serbo-Croatian: račùnalo — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Slovak: kalkulačka — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Slovene: kalkulator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Slovene: računalo — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Spanish: calculador — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Spanish: calculadora — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Swahili: kikokotozi — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Swedish: räknare — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Swedish: miniräknare — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Swedish: kalkylator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tagalog: pantaya — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tagalog: kalkulador — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tajik: мошини ҳисоб (mošin-i hisob) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tajik: ҳисобгар (hisobgar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tajik: ҳисобкунак (hisobkunak) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tamil: கணிப்பான் (kaṇippāṉ) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Telugu: గణికుడు (gaṇikuḍu) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Thai: เครื่องคิดเลข (krʉ̂ʉang-kít-lêek) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Tigrinya: መተሓሳሰቢ (mätäḥasasäbi) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Turkish: hesap makinesi — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Turkmen: kalkulýator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Udmurt: лыдъянтык (lydjantyk) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Ukrainian: калькуля́тор (kalʹkuljátor) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Urdu: کَیلْکُولیٹَر (kailkūleṭar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Urdu: حِسابْگَر (hisābgar) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Uyghur: ھېسابلىغۇچ (hësablighuch) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Uzbek: kalkulyator — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Vietnamese: máy tính cầm tay — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Welsh: cyfrifiannell — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Yiddish: קאַלקולאַטאָר (kalkulator) — electronic device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܚܲܫܘܼܒ݂ܘܿܢܵܐ (ḥašūḇōnā) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Bulgarian: смета́чна маши́на (smetáčna mašína) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Catalan: calculadora — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算器 /计算器 (jìsuànqì) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算機 /计算机 (jìsuànjī) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: rekenmachine — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: calculator — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Finnish: laskin — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Finnish: laskukone — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Galician: calculadora — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Greek: αριθμομηχανή (arithmomichaní) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hebrew: מונה (mone) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Hungarian: számológép — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Ido: kalkulilo — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Indonesian: kalkulator — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Italian: calcolatrice — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Macedonian: сметач (smetač) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pohnpeian: kalkuleder — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Pohnpeian: misihn en kapat — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Polish: kalkulator — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Portuguese: calculadora — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: calculator — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: mașină de calculat — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: вычисли́тельная маши́на (vyčislítelʹnaja mašína) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: счётная маши́на (sčótnaja mašína) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: арифмо́метр (arifmómetr) — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Vietnamese: máy tính cơ khí — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Vietnamese: máy tính tương tự — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Vietnamese: dụng cụ tính toán — mechanical device that performs mathematical calculations
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܡܲܚܫܒ݂ܵܢܵܐ (maḥšḇānā) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܡܲܚܫܒ݂ܵܢܝܼܬܵܐ (maḥšḇānītā) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܚܲܫܒܢܵܢܵܐ (ḥašbnānā) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Bulgarian: изчисли́тел (izčislítel) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算者 /计算者 (jìsuànzhě) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Dutch: berekenaar — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Finnish: laskija — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Galician: calculador — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Hebrew: חשבונאי (kheshbona'y) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Hebrew: חשבונאית (kheshbona'yt) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Hindi: परिकलक (pariklak) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Indonesian: penghitung — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Italian: calcolatore — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Italian: calcolatrice — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Japanese: 計算者 (keisansha) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Khmer: អ្នកគិតលេខ (nĕək kɨt leek) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Macedonian: сметач (smetač) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Manx: co-earrooder — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Portuguese: calculador — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Portuguese: calculista — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: calculator — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Romanian: calculatoare — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: счётчик (sčótčik) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Russian: расчётчик (rasčótčik) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Sanskrit: गुणक (guṇaka) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Ukrainian: лічба́р (ličbár) — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Vietnamese: người tính — dated: a person who performs mathematical calculations
  • Bulgarian: интригант (intrigant) — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Bulgarian: шмекер (šmeker) — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算者 /计算者 (jìsuànzhě) — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Dutch: planner — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Finnish: laskelmoija — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • German: Rechner — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Portuguese: calculista — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Vietnamese: người láu cá — person who calculates (in the sense of scheming)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算表 /计算表 (jìsuànbiǎo) — set of mathematical tables
  • Finnish: laskuri — set of mathematical tables
  • French: tables — set of mathematical tables
  • Hebrew: טבלת חישובים (t'avlat khishuvym) — set of mathematical tables
  • Italian: tabelle — set of mathematical tables
  • Japanese: 計算表 (keisannhyō) — set of mathematical tables
  • Romanian: tabele — set of mathematical tables
  • Russian: табли́цы расчётов (tablícy rasčótov) — set of mathematical tables
  • Russian: табли́ца (tablíca) — set of mathematical tables
  • Vietnamese: máy tính dạng bảng — set of mathematical tables
Real reading context

calculator in complete knowledge articles