actuary

[ak-choo-er-ee]

noun

plural

actuaries 

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

2. (formerly) a registrar or clerk.

actuary

/ ˌæktʃʊˈɛərɪəl, ˈæktʃʊərɪ /

noun

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

actuary

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

Other Word Forms

• actuarial adjective
• actuarian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of actuary¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of actuary¹

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

Example Sentences

“We just want to make sure the companies have enough money to pay claims,” said Fred Andersen, Minnesota’s chief life actuary, who is leading the initiative.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, the federal government remains one of the country’s most active employers, with open roles for nurses, actuaries, physicists, engineers and IT professionals listed at USAJobs.gov.

Read more on Salon

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.

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Not only will traffic jams slow you down, they can result in crashes caused by distracted drivers, said Megan Jones, senior actuary at Arity, another company that analyzes mobility data.

Read more on Washington Times

In 2013, the Economic Policy Institute and the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration determined that undocumented immigrants receive about $1 billion in benefits, but they also contributed about $15 billion through their TINs.

Read more on Encyclopedia.com

Related Words

• analyst 
• auditor 
• bookkeeper www.thesaurus.com
• clerk