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.
Social Security’s actuaries project the fund the program relies on to pay retirement benefits will be depleted in 2033. Lorie Konish, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024 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 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 18 Dec. 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

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