reckoning

American  

[rek-uh-ning] / ˈrɛk ə nɪŋ /

noun

1. count; computation; calculation.

2. the settlement of accounts, as between two companies.

3. a statement of an amount due; bill.

4. an accounting, as for things received or done.

   Synonyms:

   retribution, judgment

5. an appraisal or judgment.

6. Navigation. dead reckoning.

7. day of reckoning.

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reckoning British  

/ ˈrɛkənɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of counting or calculating

2. settlement of an account or bill

3. a bill or account

4. retribution for one's actions (esp in the phrase day of reckoning )

5. nautical short for dead reckoning

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Other Word Forms

• prereckoning noun
• self-reckoning adjective

Etymology

Origin of reckoning

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; reckon + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“To deny that only prolongs the situation and puts off any way of reckoning with it. We have to face it in order to understand that it’s within our human nature.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Let’s hope that April 12 will prove to be a day of reckoning.

From Salon

Fewer still thought it would spark a reckoning for the tech titans this spring.

From Los Angeles Times

Teffera added that nations who took part in the slave trade were still reluctant to confront their history and that a proper reckoning is a crucial part of restorative justice.

From BBC

None of this is to say that a major reckoning won’t come at some point, or that AI hasn’t already absorbed some positions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• calculation
• estimation