miscalculation
noun
Miscalculation — an error committed specifically in the process of calculating
Definition
A mistake in calculating
In depth
A miscalculation is a mistake in calculating, an error specifically arising from faulty arithmetic, estimation, or reasoning about quantities, probabilities, or outcomes. The word names a precise category of mistake, distinct from errors of perception or judgment more broadly, rooted specifically in the process of working out a numerical or logical conclusion.
Origin
The word combines the negating prefix 'mis-' with 'calculation,' from Latin calculare, to calculate, itself derived from calculus, a small stone used for counting. That ancient connection to physical counting stones underlies the word's enduring association with precise, quantifiable error, a miscalculation conceived as a specific failure within an otherwise systematic, countable process.
Usage examples
"The engineer's miscalculation, though small, proved catastrophic once compounded across the entire structure's design."
"Her miscalculation of the risks involved led to consequences far more severe than she had ever anticipated."
"The accountant traced the discrepancy to a single miscalculation made months earlier and never subsequently caught."
How to use it
Miscalculation is precise vocabulary common in technical, financial, and strategic writing, useful for naming errors specifically rooted in faulty calculation or estimation rather than broader categories of mistake or misjudgment.
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