actuary

noun

ac·​tu·​ary ˈak-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce actuary (audio)
-shə-,
-ˌwe-rē-
plural actuaries
1
obsolete : clerk, registrar
2
: a person who calculates insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends

Examples of actuary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Employers are also looking at reining in spending on prescription medications, said Eric Miller, a consulting actuary with Segal, a benefits consulting firm that works mainly with large public sector employers and unions. Tami Luhby, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024 Nationally, it's estimated that 7% to 8% of all long-term disability claims are related to mental health, according to a testimony provided by Richard Leavitt, a consulting actuary at the Smith Group, a disability reinsurance risk manager and consultant. Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024 In that report, the office of the program’s chief actuary said undocumented immigrants paid as much as $13 billion in payroll taxes to the program’s trust funds in 2010, while about $1 billion in benefit payments were attributed to unauthorized work. Lorie Konish, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024 House District 33 Taylor Jolly (D) Taylor Jolly is an actuary who grew up in Louisville. Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for actuary 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin āctuārius "shorthand writer, keeper of accounts," alteration (with -u- from the u-stem action noun āctus) of *āctārius, from āctum "public transaction, record" + -ārius -ary entry 1 — more at act entry 1

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of actuary was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near actuary

Cite this Entry

“Actuary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actuary. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

actuary

noun
ac·​tu·​ary ˈak-chə-ˌwer-ē How to pronounce actuary (audio)
-shə-
plural actuaries
: a person who calculates insurance premiums and dividends
actuarial
ˌak-chə-ˈwer-ē-əl
adjective

Legal Definition

actuary

noun
ac·​tu·​ary ˈak-chə-ˌwer-ē, -shə- How to pronounce actuary (audio)
plural actuaries
: a person who calculates insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends

More from Merriam-Webster on actuary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!