combinatorial
adjective
com·bi·na·to·ri·al
ˌkäm-bə-nə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 
kəm-ˌbī-nə-,
-(ˌ)bi-
1
: of, relating to, or involving combinations
2
: of or relating to the arrangement of, operation on, and selection of discrete mathematical elements belonging to finite sets or making up geometric configurations
Examples of combinatorial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But one challenge doing it manually has to do with the underlying combinatorial complexity involved in freight bids.
—
Edmund Zagorin, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Catalog instead uses a method called combinatorial assembly, which the company likens to the Gutenberg printing press.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025
These types of problems are called ‘combinatorial explosion’ problems, where adding in just a few more inputs can massively increase the compute time.
—John Koetsier, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
By searching through the combinatorial set of possible arrangements of modular components, our method generates a functional, as-simple-as possible robotic device that is capable of tracking the input motion trajectories.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2018
See all Example Sentences for combinatorial 
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.
Edmund Zagorin, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Catalog instead uses a method called combinatorial assembly, which the company likens to the Gutenberg printing press.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025
These types of problems are called ‘combinatorial explosion’ problems, where adding in just a few more inputs can massively increase the compute time.
—John Koetsier, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
By searching through the combinatorial set of possible arrangements of modular components, our method generates a functional, as-simple-as possible robotic device that is capable of tracking the input motion trajectories.
—Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2018
See all Example Sentences for combinatorial
Dictionary Entries Near combinatorial
Cite this Entry
“Combinatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combinatorial. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share