reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈre-kən 

reckoned; reckoning ˈre-kə-niŋ 

ˈrek-niŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: count

reckon the days till Christmas

b

: estimate, compute

reckon the height of a building

c

: to determine by reference to a fixed basis

the existence of the U.S. is reckoned from the Declaration of Independence

2

: to regard or think of as : consider

3

chiefly dialectal : think, suppose

I reckon I've outlived my time

—Ellen Glasgow

intransitive verb

1

: to settle accounts

2

: to make a calculation

3

a

: judge

b

chiefly dialectal : suppose, think

4

: to accept something as certain : place reliance

I reckon on your promise to help

Phrases

reckon with

: to take into consideration

reckon without

: to fail to consider : ignore

Synonyms

• calculate
• call
• conjecture
• estimate
• figure
• gauge
• gage
• guess
• judge
• make
• place
• put
• suppose

Examples of reckon in a Sentence

I reckon that we'll have to leave early.

Do you reckon you'll be able to go to the grocery store after work?

We'll have to leave early, I reckon.

They reckoned that they would reach their destination by noon.

Losses were reckoned to be over a million dollars.

Recent Examples on the Web

As a budget year, legislators will have to reckon with maintaining Medicaid services amid an inaccurate projection by $984 million for its Medicaid expenditure forecast in April 2023. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025

While reckoning with the calamity, some homeowners are likely taking the first step in a disaster recovery process that has become increasingly common as climate change has heightened the frequency and severity of extreme weather events: filing an insurance claim. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2025

But the digitization will undoubtedly ripple through the Netherlands, which is still reckoning with this dark period of its history. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2025

So as President-elect Trump — a huge beneficiary of this new reality — takes office, the way we get informed has been upended in ways most have not fully reckoned with. —Axios, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rekenen, from Old English -recenian (as in gerecenian to narrate); akin to Old English reccan

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing reckon

• a force to reckon with
• a man/woman/person to reckon with
• reckon on
• reckon up

Kids Definition

reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈrek-ən 

reckoned; reckoning -(ə-)niŋ 

1

a

: count entry 1 sense 1a, compute

reckon the days till her birthday

b

: to estimate by calculating

reckon the height of a building

2

: consider sense 3, regard

was reckoned among the leaders

3

chiefly dialect : think sense 2, suppose

4

: to look forward to as certain : depend

reckon on support

reckoner

-(ə-)nər

noun