actuarial

adjective

ac·​tu·​ar·​i·​al ˌak-chə-ˈwer-ē-əl How to pronounce actuarial (audio)
-shə-
1
: of or relating to actuaries
2
: relating to statistical calculation especially of life expectancy
actuarially
ˌak-chə-ˈwer-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce actuarial (audio)
-shə-
adverb

Examples of actuarial 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.
Others argue that narrow actuarial questions are a distraction from the larger political issue. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Today, chatbots can run the actuarial numbers, potentially alleviating some uncertainty concerns by, say, offering a close approximation for achieving life milestones. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Ronald Stair is the SVP | National Practice Leader, Creative Plan Designs, a BPAS Company, an actuarial consulting firm. — Ronald Stair, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy represented 18% of a worker’s health care premium in 2021, after factoring in any rebates paid out by manufacturers, according to the consulting and actuarial firm Milliman. — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actuarial

Word History

Etymology

actuary + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of actuarial was in 1869

Rhymes for actuarial

See All Rhymes for actuarial

Browse Nearby Words

actual truth
actuarial
actuaries' table
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actuarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actuarial. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Legal Definition

actuarial

adjective
ac·​tu·​ar·​i·​al ˌak-chə-ˈwer-ē-əl, ˌak-shə- How to pronounce actuarial (audio)
1
: of or relating to actuaries
2
: relating to statistical calculation especially of life expectancy
actuarially adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All