actuary

noun

ac·​tu·​ary ˈak-chə-ˌwer-ē 

-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

The Social Security trust fund used to help pay retirement benefits is projected to run out in 2033, according to the program’s actuaries. —Lorie Konish, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2024

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

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

Kids Definition

actuary

noun

ac·​tu·​ary ˈak-chə-ˌwer-ē 

-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- 

plural actuaries

: a person who calculates insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends