actuarial

American  

[ak-choo-air-ee-uhl] / ˌæk tʃuˈɛər i əl /

Rarely actuarian

adjective

1. Insurance. relating to or being the science of computing premium rates, risks, dividends, etc., according to probabilities based on statistics.

   Over this period, the fund earned a return of 14.37%, exceeding the actuarial assumed return of 7.70%.

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Other Word Forms

• actuarially adverb

Etymology

Origin of actuarial

First recorded in 1850–55; actuar(y) ( def. ) + -ial ( def. )

Example Sentences

A man doing the same thing would collect a bit more per year, because the actuarial tables say he isn’t likely to live as long.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Last Wednesday, the FHA released its annual actuarial report showing that the ratio stood at 11.47%.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Cynthia, who in her 20s entered a marriage that any actuarial table would have advised strongly against, is almost apologetic for finding herself wed to Warren.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Her measure also would require the California insurance commissioners to have at least five years of insurance experience, either with a regulator, insurer or in other roles, such as actuarial science.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

The authorities were extremely strict about this, and the only kind of publication that would pass muster might be a quarterly on actuarial science for a prisoner studying accounting.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela