reckon

verb

reck·​on ˈre-kən How to pronounce reckon (audio)
reckoned; reckoning ˈre-kə-niŋ How to pronounce reckon (audio)
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 timeEllen 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

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
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.
On previous records, Hadreas focused on trying to reckon with the past and old memories. Matt Minton, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025 By publicly airing all their respective perspectives, Duke’s players and coaches were forced to reckon with uncomfortable realities right from the jump, which, ultimately, got everyone on the same page. Brendan Marks, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 Now trapped inside the car and communicating through the car's speaker system, Eddie has to reckon with the devious machinations of William and whatever chaos he's got planned. Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, Gamergate did force more people in the tech industry to reckon with abuse and harassment. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reckon

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of reckon was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reckon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reckon. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

reckon

verb
reck·​on ˈrek-ən How to pronounce reckon (audio)
reckoned; reckoning -(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce reckon (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on reckon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!