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

House District 33 Taylor Jolly (D) Taylor Jolly is an actuary who grew up in Louisville. —Rebecca Grapevine, The Courier-Journal, 13 Sep. 2024

Scott, the whistleblower who filed the lawsuit in 2016, is a former actuary for Humana. —Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 16 Aug. 2024

Embedded in the projections of the CBO, and of the Medicare program’s actuaries too, is a prediction that per-person health expenses are going to increase in coming years, and increase faster than inflation. —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 16 Aug. 2024

Its own actuaries projected that the insurer would have to charge higher rates than seven out of 10 private companies to meet the non-competition goal. —Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 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