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

combinatorially

ˌkäm-bə-nə-ˈtȯr-ē-ə-lē 

kəm-ˌbī-nə-, 

-(ˌ)bi-

adverb

Examples of combinatorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An OpenAI reasoning model recently overturned a conjecture Paul Erdős posed in 1946, toppling an eighty-year assumption in combinatorial geometry by importing machinery from algebraic number theory — two fields with no obvious reason to meet. —Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

In May, OpenAI solved the unit distance problem — one of Erdős’s most famous open questions in combinatorial geometry, unsolved since 1946. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026

This allows quantum computers to solve certain types of problems, such as factoring large numbers for today’s encryption schemes and performing combinatorial optimization to find the best route through a large number of points. —Gary Skuse, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2026

The tracking problem was formulated as a combinatorial optimization task. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for combinatorial

• categorial
• curatorial
• dictatorial
• directorial
• editorial
• equatorial
• immemorial
• infusorial
• janitorial
• professorial
• reportorial
• senatorial