What does recomputation mean?
Recomputation is the act of calculating or processing something again, usually because an earlier result must be checked, corrected, or updated. It is especially common in computing, mathematics, science, and data analysis, where changing an input or correcting an intermediate step can require the original work to be repeated. The word can refer either to the action itself or to the process used to produce a revised result. Recomputation is distinct from computation, which may be performed only once, and from recalculation, which emphasizes another calculation but is less specifically associated with technical systems. Its usefulness lies in capturing the iterative nature of modern calculation: results are rarely treated as permanently fixed, but as values that can be revisited when assumptions or data change.
nounThe act of calculating something again, especially in order to correct or update a previous calculation. In computing, it refers to performing a calculation or set of calculations anew.
- The act of calculating something again.
- The process of performing calculations anew in computing or data processing.
"A change to the input values triggered a recomputation of the result."
"The software performs a recomputation whenever the source data is modified."
"The researcher requested a recomputation of the estimates using the updated figures."
Used when referring to multiple separate acts of calculating or processing information again.
"The engineers carried out several recomputations before accepting the final estimate."
Recomputation turns a one-time answer into a system that can correct itself when conditions change.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recomputation come from?
Recomputation was formed in the early 19th century from the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and computation. Computation itself comes from Latin computare, meaning “to calculate” or “to reckon,” a word associated with counting and calculating. The same Latin root appears in English forms such as compute, computer, and computable, as well as in related words in several other European languages.
Related word forms
How recomputation is actually used
Most common in technical, scientific, academic, and computing contexts. It is more precise than simply saying that something is calculated again, because it often implies repetition prompted by new information, a changed input, or the need to verify an earlier result.
Easily confused with recomputation
Computation means calculating or processing information, while recomputation means doing that calculation again, often because the previous result needs to be checked or updated.