algorithm

American  

[al-guh-rith-uhm] / ˈæl gəˌrɪð əm /

noun

• algorithms
  plural

1. 

   Mathematics. a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, such as the Euclidean algorithm for finding the greatest common divisor.

2. Computers. an ordered set of instructions recursively applied to transform data input into processed data output, such as a mathematical solution, search engine result, descriptive statistics, or predictive text suggestions.

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algorithm British  

/ ˈælɡəˌrɪðəm /

noun

1. a logical arithmetical or computational procedure that if correctly applied ensures the solution of a problem Compare heuristic

2. logic maths a recursive procedure whereby an infinite sequence of terms can be generated

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algorithm Scientific  

/ ăl′gə-rĭth′əm /

1. A finite set of unambiguous instructions performed in a prescribed sequence to achieve a goal, especially a mathematical rule or procedure used to compute a desired result. Algorithms are the basis for most computer programming.

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algorithm Cultural  

1. A set of instructions for solving a problem, especially on a computer. An algorithm for finding your total grocery bill, for example, would direct you to add up the costs of individual items to find the total.

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Usage

What is an algorithm? An algorithm is a set of instructions or rules that can be followed to solve a problem. Algorithms are most commonly used in mathematics and computing, and they can often be very complex or have many steps or sets of instructions. For example, your teacher asks you to add 537 and 162. You might solve the problem by lining up 162 under 537 and adding the columns of numbers together. You add the 7 and 2 in the ones column to get 9, Next, you add the numbers in the tens column (3 and 6) to get 9. Finally, you add 5 and 1 in the hundreds column and get 6. Your answer, then, is 699. You have followed an addition algorithm to find the solution. In computing, a computer coder will create a set of instructions (the algorithm) that a computer or artificial intelligence will use to solve a problem or will consult in order to achieve a goal. Let’s say you spend the day watching Star Wars videos on YouTube. With each video you watch, the website will recommend other videos it thinks you will like. How does it know what you like? It runs an algorithm that finds videos that are similar to the ones you’ve already watched. If Darth Vader shows up in a video of a car commercial, YouTube will likely recommend it to you to watch because Vader was in a lot of the Star Wars videos you’ve already watched.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• algorithmic
  adjective
• algorithmically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• algorithms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of algorithm

First recorded in 1690–1700; variant of algorism ( def. ), by association with Greek arithmós “number”; see arithmetic ( def. )

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Explanation

Whether you are doing simple multiplication or a complicated calculus problem, you must use a predetermined set of rules, called an algorithm, to solve it. An algorithm includes a finite number of steps to solve any given problem. The word algorithm has an unusual backstory. It seems the 9th Century Persian mathematician Al-Khwārizmī wrote about calculations, and when his work was translated into Latin 300 years later, his name was somehow incorporated into the name of the process as Algoritmi. This got confused with the Greek word for number, arithmos, leading to the evolution of the word as we know it. It's a mish-mash, ironic for a word that stands for a rather rigid set of rules.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

algorithm algorithms

For each installation, the algorithm first established a baseline distribution from imagery taken one year earlier, from February through August 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

And no Angeleno with an L.A.-centric social media algorithm could forget Jason Radovan and Hannah Webb, who reigned as “The Mother & Father of the 110” on Halloween 2023.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

"Once you watch one thing like that, the algorithm, of course, feeds you more of the same content," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

But let’s say Walmart deployed an algorithm to set prices and it autonomously coordinated with a similar algorithm run by Kroger.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

Anyone not logged in to the NeuroLink right now will use it before long, triggering this new algorithm the instant they do.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

One promising solution is to use approximation algorithms, which calculate estimates rather than exact answers.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

After breaching a large Indian crypto exchange in 2024, hackers used algorithms to spread funds through global crypto networks, doing it faster than any human could and making them virtually impossible to recover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Her research has looked into automated algorithms and the effect on lived experiences, looking at decisions about people which have been based solely on statistics.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Google has been working on its tensor processing units for more than a decade and uses them to run things from its search-engine algorithms to its Gemini AI models.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Once you pushed it, the hover ladder randomly flitted in front of the shelves, using advanced biofeedback technology, heart-rate monitors, and complex algorithms to figure out what sort of story you might be interested in.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

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