actuary
Americannoun
plural
actuaries-
Insurance. a person who computes premium rates, dividends, risks, etc., according to probabilities based on statistical records.
-
(formerly) a registrar or clerk.
noun
Other Word Forms
- actuarial adjective
- actuarian adjective
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 )
Compare meaning
How does actuary compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ronald Smith, a retired actuary who has written critically about the service, argues that the push reflects industry economics as much as participant outcomes.
From MarketWatch
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
“If we lived in a world run by actuaries, we’d still be in caves.”
CMS staff actuaries calculate expected growth rates for costs, and the numbers came in below what many analysts had expected this time.
A main reason the proposed rates fall short of Wall Street analysts’ estimates is tied to federal staff actuaries’ calculation of spending growth, which is tied to costs in the traditional Medicare program.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
