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

Etymology

Origin of algorithm

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

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

Unless you have a real system or algorithm, you will lose money doing that, and the more you trade the faster you will lose.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Many service sector workers find that they only get shifts when an algorithm says their labor is required – leaving their schedules and earnings unpredictable.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

But those everyday traders can’t react anywhere near as quickly as a fast-twitch algorithm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

An old-school tip for finding new music: If Spotify’s algorithm makes you feel stuck in a musical rut, there’s an easy way out.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

This is a conservative estimate, since the algorithm was able to identify only the most egregious form of cheating—in which teachers systematically changed students’ answers—and not the many subtler ways a teacher might cheat.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

His firm’s algorithms still trade markets every day.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

None of the protesters interviewed for this story spoke about algorithms, engagement or going viral.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

“There’s a number of high-level things that people are opposed to in principle that are not represented in the language,” he said, noting the bill gives state regulators access to the algorithms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

"There's no AI autonomous algorithms ever capable to handle that safely."

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Mathematics in this view is cut-and-dried and calls for nothing so much as mastery of the requisite algorithms, and unlimited patience.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

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