compute
part of speech
verb (compute, computes, computed, computing); noun (computation)
meaning for a pupil
1) (formal) To work out an answer or amount by calculating. tree →
2) (informal, often «it doesn't compute») To make sense. tree →
3) (formal, exam) A command word: «Compute the total expenditure» means calculate it. tree →
4) (casual) In everyday talk people say «work out», «add up», «do the maths» (UK, Australia: «maths»; US: «math»), «crunch the numbers». tree →
5) (casual, joking) «Does not compute» in a robot voice means this makes no sense. tree →
sense in the lessons
A formal word for «calculate», used in maths questions: «compute the sum», «compute the area». It is the root of «computer». «It does not compute» is a joke way to say something makes no sense. In the exam voice: «Compute the total expenditure incurred», «Compute the mean». In casual talk: «do the maths», «add it up», «crunch the numbers». Phrases: compute the total, compute the average, compute the area.
examples
- Compute the area of a rectangle 6 m long and 4 m wide. tree →
- The computer can compute huge sums in a second. tree →
- Compute 25 times 4 in your head. tree →
- She computed how much money she had left. tree →
- Compute the average of 3, 5 and 7. tree →
- He says he is tired but he ran all day? That doesn't compute. tree →
- Compute the total expenditure incurred in the purchase of 4 pens at 30 cents per pen. (formal exam) tree →
- do the maths, 3 of us, 12 sweets, that's 4 each (casual) tree →
- Crunch the numbers and tell me if we can afford it. (casual) tree →
- You got 30 for 6 × 4? Doesn't compute, mate, it's 24. (rough, joking) tree →
note
Regular verb: computed. Nouns: computation, computer. In a maths problem «compute» means calculate; it does not tell you which operation to use. Same family of exam words: calculate, determine, evaluate, ascertain. «Expenditure incurred» (formal) = money spent. «Doesn't compute» means it makes no sense, not a sum.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «compute» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.