make a rough calculation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "make a rough calculation" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to indicate that you are estimating or approximating a numerical value without precise measurements. Example: "To get a quick idea of the budget, we can make a rough calculation of the costs involved."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The "additivity assumption" provides a convenient and practical postulation that allows risk assessors to make a rough calculation, which U.S. EPA believes represents a reasonable and neutral risk estimate (U.S. EPA 2000).

Environmental Health Perspectives

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

I made a rough calculation.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

They made a rough calculation that 700 acres per tourist would maintain privacy for both animals and humans.

The Guardian - Travel

As the tournament passed its expected 6 p.m. conclusion, CBS made a rough calculation that the third sudden-death playoff hole would not end until at least 7 02, with no guarantee that it would be the last.

The New York Times - Sports

When the first plutonium bomb was tested on July 16 , 1945 near Alamogordo, N.M., Fermi ingeniously made a rough calculation of its explosive energy by noting how far slips of paper were blown from the vertical.

Britannica

At my request, the researcher Benjamin H. Strauss at the organization Climate Central, made a rough calculation of the number of people living within 10 meters, or 33 feet, of sea level: 710 million, or about 12 percent of the world's population.

The New York Times

A more realistic headline like "Soda Is Unhealthy, as You Know, so We Made a Rough Calculation of How Many People Die from It but There's No Way to Check Numbers Like This" isn't nearly as sexy.

Vice

The McCain campaign has made only a rough calculation of how many billions would be needed and has not identified a source for the fi-nancing beyond savings from existing programs.

The New York Times

"So let's make a rough, back-of-the-envelope style of calculation, to estimate the pressure inside a bloated beached whale that's about to explode.

The Economist

These calculations can thus be used to make a rough estimation of the number of required base stations for the deployment of WiMAX in a suburban environment (shown by reasonably agreement with average performance).

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Several YouTube videos show how to make a rough facsimile.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "make a rough calculation", ensure the context indicates that precision is not required or is not possible at the given stage. It sets expectations for the accuracy of the result.

Common error

Avoid presenting the result of a "make a rough calculation" as a definitive answer. It is an approximation, not an exact figure. Using qualifiers like "approximately" or "around" can help maintain appropriate context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make a rough calculation" functions as a verbal phrase, where "make" is the main verb, "rough" is an adjective modifying the noun "calculation". According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "make a rough calculation" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression for describing an approximate estimation. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability across various contexts. While suitable for many situations, including news and general discussions, more formal settings might benefit from alternatives like "derive a preliminary estimate". Remember, when using this phrase, it's essential to manage expectations, as the result is an approximation, not a precise figure.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

estimate roughly

Focuses on the estimation aspect, omitting the specific action of calculation.

approximate quickly

Emphasizes speed and approximation, removing the calculation element.

do a back-of-the-envelope calculation

Replaces "make" with "do" and provides a more descriptive adjective, indicating an informal calculation method.

work out an approximation

Replaces "make a calculation" with "work out an approximation", changing the verb and noun structure.

form a quick estimate

Changes the verb to "form" and uses "estimate" instead of "calculation", focusing on the estimation outcome.

figure out approximately

Replaces "make a calculation" with "figure out approximately", altering the verb and adding an adverb.

calculate approximately

Combines the action and result into one adverbial phrase.

guess roughly

Replaces "calculation" with "guess", indicating a less precise estimation.

ballpark figure

This alternative is a noun phrase that refers to making an estimate.

guesstimate

A portmanteau of "guess" and "estimate", implying an informal approximation.

FAQs

How can I use "make a rough calculation" in a sentence?

You can use "make a rough calculation" when you want to express that you're estimating something without needing precise accuracy. For example, "Let's make a rough calculation to see if this project is financially feasible."

What can I say instead of "make a rough calculation"?

You can use alternatives like "estimate roughly", "do a back-of-the-envelope calculation", or "form a quick estimate" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "make a rough calculation" in formal writing?

While "make a rough calculation" is understandable, in formal writing, consider more precise alternatives such as "perform an approximate computation" or "derive a preliminary estimate" to convey professionalism.

What does it mean to "make a rough calculation"?

To "make a rough calculation" means to create an estimate or approximation, usually quickly and without strict attention to detail. It's about getting a general idea rather than an exact figure.