actuary

American  

[ak-choo-er-ee] / ˈæk tʃuˌɛr i /

noun

• actuaries
  plural

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

2. (formerly) a registrar or clerk.

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actuary British  

/ ˈæktʃʊərɪ /

noun

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

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actuary Cultural  

1. A mathematician who uses statistics to calculate insurance premiums.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• actuarial
  adjective
• actuarian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• actuaries
  plural

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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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Compare meaning

How does actuary compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• actuary vs. accountant

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

actuary actuaries

The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, which pays out retiree and survivor benefits, is expected to be depleted by the fourth quarter of 2032, according to Social Security’s chief actuary.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 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

His letters to Mr. H. P. Smith, for many years actuary of the Eagle Insurance Office, are a combination of business and friendship.

From The Letters of Charles Dickens Vol. 1, 1833-1856 by Georgina Hogarth

That would guarantee the system’s solvency into the 2060s, the actuaries calculated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

The drop-dead date in that case — which Social Security’s actuaries had identified well in advance — was July 1983.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

The Social Security actuaries project that the costs of Social Security over the next 75 years average 6.1% of GDP and revenues of 4.8%, leaving a deficit of 1.3% of GDP.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026

“If we lived in a world run by actuaries, we’d still be in caves.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

This was on the day before the actuaries were to make their investigation.

From True Stories of Crime From the District Attorney's Office by Arthur Cheney Train

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Related Words

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