actuary
Americannoun
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Insurance. a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.
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(formerly) a registrar or clerk.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of actuary
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin āctuārius “shorthand writer, clerk,” variant (with u of the action noun āctus act ) of āctārius ( āct(a) “deeds, documents” + -ārius -ary )
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Explanation
The person who calculates the risks for an insurance company or financial institution is an actuary. An actuary analyzes accident and life expectancy statistics to help the company set the price of insurance coverage. An actuary is a risk-management professional who works with mathematical probabilities and other accounting techniques. The current meaning of the word didn't come into use until 1772, although actuarial science had been in use long before that. (The first acknowledged U.S. actuary was Jacob Shoemaker in 1809.) Before that, the word actuary meant someone who was a registrar or clerk. It derives from the Latin word actuarius, "account-keeper," which in turn came from āctus, "public business."
Vocabulary lists containing actuary
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 14
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Here's Looking at Euclid
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In the Country We Love
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ronald Smith, a retired actuary who has written critically about the service, argues that the push reflects industry economics as much as participant outcomes.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026
Knowing that he’s a senior partner at an actuary firm and has an analytical mind, I was eager to hear his strategy for airline frequent-flyer status.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
Sheri Scott, an actuary from Milliman, told the council that the firm estimated that losses from the Eaton fire ranged from $13.7 billion to $22.8 billion.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2025
She made good grades in her business classes and dreamed of becoming an actuary.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2025
An eminent actuary and another correspondent have taken the trouble to cube out these numbers, and they both find my result quite correct.
From The Canterbury Puzzles And Other Curious Problems by Dudeney, Henry Ernest
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
