actuary

[ ak-choo-er-ee ]

/ ˈæk tʃuˌɛr i /

noun, plural ac·tu·ar·ies.

Insurance. a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.

(formerly) a registrar or clerk.

Nearby words

actualization, actualize, actually, actuals, actuarial, actuary, actuate, actuator, actus reus, acuate, acuff

Origin of actuary

1545–55; < Latin āctuārius shorthand writer, clerk, variant (with u of the action noun āctus act) of āctārius (āct(a) deeds, documents + -ārius -ary)

Related forms

ac·tu·ar·i·al

[ak-choo-air-ee-uh l] /ˌæk tʃuˈɛər i əl/, ac·tu·ar·i·an, adjectiveac·tu·ar·i·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for actuarial

That miscalculation could mean serious trouble in terms of actuarial soundness.
With More Competition and Choice, Obamacare Might Not Be So Horrible|Nick Gillespie|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Social security encourages behavior which undermines the actuarial soundness of social security itself.
Sorry, Folks: One Way or the Other, You'll Never Be Able to Completely Count on Retirement|Megan McArdle|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But while support for ending the death penalty was cold and actuarial, opposition to the measure was emotional and raw.
Death Penalty Survives In California, But Three-Strikes Law Cut Back|David R. Dow|November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There is also literally a conversation about contemporary practices in actuarial mathematics.
Saw, Scrutinized|Choire Sicha|October 23, 2009|DAILY BEAST

At 79 years of age, actuarial tables say a woman is likely to live another 9.74 years.
Who's Best for the Kids?|Marcia Clark|July 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The business of life insurance upon the continent of Europe has given an extraordinary stimulus to actuarial studies.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 6|Various
De Morgan knew him professionally through the fact that he was prominent in actuarial work.
A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume I (of II)|Augustus De Morgan
Few seem to be aware how greatly the knowledge of what may be termed the actuarial side of heredity has advanced in recent years.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park
The per capita cost of $1.23 in 1906 is far below the actuarial cost.
Beneficiary Features of American Trade Unions|James B. Kennedy
He outsold many men with actuarial minds, and extended knowledge.
The Psychology of Salesmanship|William Walker Atkinson

British Dictionary definitions for actuarial

actuary

/ (ˈæktʃʊərɪ) /

noun plural -aries

a person qualified to calculate commercial risks and probabilities involving uncertain future events, esp in such contexts as life assurance

Derived Forms

actuarial (ˌæktʃʊˈɛərɪəl), adjective

Word Origin for actuary

C16: (meaning: registrar): from Latin āctuārius one who keeps accounts, from actum public business, and acta documents, deeds. See act, -ary

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for actuarial

actuary

[ (ak-chooh-er-ee) ]

A mathematician who uses statistics to calculate insurance premiums.