actuary
Americannoun
plural
actuaries-
Insurance. a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.
-
(formerly) a registrar or clerk.
noun
Other Word Forms
- actuarial adjective
- actuarian adjective
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
The flood map “does not reflect all hazards,” said Andy Neal, who spent 15 years as the NFIP’s chief actuary before moving to insurance broker Aon in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
She made good grades in her business classes and dreamed of becoming an actuary.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2025
Every investor, actuary or corporate risk manager understands that it is the element of not knowing that creates the impetus to invest in mitigating risks and adapting to those that remain.
From Salon • May 1, 2025
The redoubtable actuary sat in a capacious easy-chair with his feet on a reindeer skin.
From The Red Room by Strindberg, August
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.
