algorithm
Americannoun
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algorithms
plural
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Mathematics. a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, such as the Euclidean algorithm for finding the greatest common divisor.
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Computers. an ordered set of instructions recursively applied to transform data input into processed data output, such as a mathematical solution, search engine result, descriptive statistics, or predictive text suggestions.
noun
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a logical arithmetical or computational procedure that if correctly applied ensures the solution of a problem Compare heuristic
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logic maths a recursive procedure whereby an infinite sequence of terms can be generated
Usage
What is an algorithm? An algorithm is a set of instructions or rules that can be followed to solve a problem. Algorithms are most commonly used in mathematics and computing, and they can often be very complex or have many steps or sets of instructions. For example, your teacher asks you to add 537 and 162. You might solve the problem by lining up 162 under 537 and adding the columns of numbers together. You add the 7 and 2 in the ones column to get 9, Next, you add the numbers in the tens column (3 and 6) to get 9. Finally, you add 5 and 1 in the hundreds column and get 6. Your answer, then, is 699. You have followed an addition algorithm to find the solution. In computing, a computer coder will create a set of instructions (the algorithm) that a computer or artificial intelligence will use to solve a problem or will consult in order to achieve a goal. Let’s say you spend the day watching Star Wars videos on YouTube. With each video you watch, the website will recommend other videos it thinks you will like. How does it know what you like? It runs an algorithm that finds videos that are similar to the ones you’ve already watched. If Darth Vader shows up in a video of a car commercial, YouTube will likely recommend it to you to watch because Vader was in a lot of the Star Wars videos you’ve already watched.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of algorithm
First recorded in 1690–1700; variant of algorism ( def. ), by association with Greek arithmós “number”; see arithmetic ( def. )
Explanation
Whether you are doing simple multiplication or a complicated calculus problem, you must use a predetermined set of rules, called an algorithm, to solve it. An algorithm includes a finite number of steps to solve any given problem. The word algorithm has an unusual backstory. It seems the 9th Century Persian mathematician Al-Khwārizmī wrote about calculations, and when his work was translated into Latin 300 years later, his name was somehow incorporated into the name of the process as Algoritmi. This got confused with the Greek word for number, arithmos, leading to the evolution of the word as we know it. It's a mish-mash, ironic for a word that stands for a rather rigid set of rules.
Vocabulary lists containing algorithm
Language Gone Wrong: Words That Started Out as Errors
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You Name It: Eponyms
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English Words Derived from Arabic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Clearly, the algorithm masters aren’t too precious about these throwaway texts; their core strategy will always be to embrace whatever seems to work best in the moment.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Another huge concern for parents is what Instagram’s algorithm shows their teens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Meta dodged the “worst-case whispers” of much steeper financial penalties and algorithm changes, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In recent days, depending largely on what your algorithm serves up, you may be seeing nearly as many people in Cat in the Hat costumes dancing to Beyonce as those stalking the streets.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Now understanding the maze’s algorithm, he took up his pencil again, cut though the Gordian knot, and completed the task.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Autonomous systems aim to handle the entire flight, including take-off and landing, with little or no human intervention, using algorithms to process sensor data and control the aircraft.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The Electronic Combined Braking System links the front and rear anti-lock braking system, so that using either the front or rear brake engages both, according to the Riding Mode’s algorithms and the bike’s loaded weight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The captions aren’t meant to be read by users, exactly, but instead picked up by keyword-trained algorithms that surface the post on your feed.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
He had planned to study mechanical engineering, but quickly realized that algorithms, not the hardware, decide how robots behave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
He also wrote a book about the Hindu numeral system, which allowed the new style of numbers to spread quickly through the Arab world—along with algorithms, the tricks for multiplying and dividing Hindu numerals quickly.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
