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algorithm

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Arabic ال (al-)
Old Persian *𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼- (*u-v-a-r-)
Old Persian *𐏀𐎷𐎡- (*z-mi-i-)
Old Persian 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀𐎷𐎡𐎹 (u-v-a-r-z-mi-i-y)der.
Old Persian 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀𐎷𐎡𐏁 (u-v-a-r-z-mi-i-š)
Classical Persian خْوَارَزْم (xwārazm)bor.
Arabic خَوَارِزْم (ḵawārizm)
Proto-Afroasiatic
Proto-Semitic
Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy)
Arabic خَوَارِزْمِيّ (ḵawārizmiyy)
Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy)bor.
Medieval Latin algorismusbor.
Anglo-Norman algorismebor.
Middle English algorisme
English algorism
▲
English arithmo-influ.
English algorithm

    From Middle English algorisme, augrym, from Anglo-Norman algorisme, augrim, from Medieval Latin algorismus, from Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy), the nisba of Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī and a toponymic name meaning "the Chorasmian".[1] The spelling change (-s- > -th-) was influenced by unrelated Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós) (whence English arithmo-).[2]

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/, [ˈæɫɡəɹɪðm̩]
    • (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /ˈalɡəɹɪð(ə)m/
      • Audio (US):(file)
    • Hyphenation UK: al‧gorithm, US: al‧go‧rithm

    Noun

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    algorithm (countable and uncountable, plural algorithms)

    1. (countable) A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input value and yields an output value in a finite number of steps.
      • 1990, Cormen, Leiserson, and Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms: page 1. Cambridge, MA, The MIT Press, 1999 (23rd printing)
        Informally, an algorithm is any well-defined computational procedure that takes some value, or set of values, as input and produces some value, or set of values, as output. An algorithm is thus a sequence of computational steps that transform the input into the output.
      • 2010, Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network:
        Mark Zuckerberg: No, I need the algorithm you used to rank chess players. / Eduardo Saverin: Are you OK? / Mark Zuckerberg: We're ranking girls.
      • 2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[2], volume 189, number 7, archived from the original on 28 April 2021, page 26:
        The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. And, as their ubiquity spreads, so too does the debate around whether we should allow ourselves to become so reliant on them – and who, if anyone, is policing their use.
      • 2018 June 25, Sam Jones, “Ex-Nato chief refused visa waiver to US because of Iran trips”, in The Guardian‎[3], archived from the original on 20 December 2019:
        It’s a computer – an algorithm – and if you’ve been in Iran lately, they take you out of the system.
      • 2019 March 31, Sean T. Collins, “‘Billions’ Season 4, Episode 3: Hurts So Good”, in The New York Times‎[4], archived from the original on 11 December 2019:
        Together, the Masons craft a new algorithm to make an end-run around Axe’s sabotage — or so they want him to believe. With the help of a surveillance photo procured by his dirty-deeds specialist Hall (Terry Kinney), Axe has a copy of the algo he spends a full day attempting to decipher before realizing it has a mistake.
    2. (loosely) A flow chart illustrating a decision-making process for human users, especially health care professionals.
      • 2023, Lee SG, Blood AJ, Cannon CP, Gordon WJ, Nichols H, Zelle D, Scirica BM, Fisher NDL, “Remote cardiovascular hypertension program enhanced blood pressure control during the COVID-19 pandemic”, in J Am Heart Assoc, volume 12, number 6, →DOI, →PMID, page e027296:
        This retrospective observational analysis evaluated BP [blood pressure] control in an entirely remote management program before and during the pandemic. A team of pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physicians, and nonlicensed navigators used an evidence‐based clinical algorithm to optimize hypertensive treatment. The algorithm was adapted during the pandemic to simplify BP control.
    3. (uncountable, obsolete) Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism.
    4. (informal, metonymic) A software system that makes decisions for end users on a platform; (in particular, social media) the algorithmic curation system on social media feeds; the personalized feed itself.
      • 2018 February 26, Tad Friend, quoting Donald Glover, “Donald Glover Can’t Save You”, in The New Yorker‎[5]:
        [Donald] Glover began his acceptance speech by saying, “First, I want to thank the great algorithm that put us all here.”
      • 2024 October 23, Ben Rhodes, “Trump Blames Zelensky for War, Sucks Up to Saudis” (23:52 from the start), in Pod Save the World‎[6] (podcast):
        […] you and I probably didn't run across that in our algorithm, but that doesn't mean that a lot of people aren't gonna run across garbage like that in their algorithms in the next couple weeks […]
      • 2026 September 2, Robert Booth, “Uber drivers launch European class action over ‘soulless’ and ‘scary’ AI algorithm”, in The Guardian‎[7], →ISSN:
        “It is like someone watching you all the time and knowing about your weakness – the boss is the algorithm,” said Mohammed Shirwa, a 41-year-old Uber driver in Rotterdam. “All the time the algorithm is learning about you and what you are willing to accept. So the prices go low but you are stuck. It knows you need the job.”
      • 2026 September 14, Brigid Delaney, “We greet the news that AI could extinguish us with a glazed indifference. What is the way out of this nihilism?”, in The Guardian‎[8], →ISSN:
        This numbness could be the result of almost 20 years of smartphones and social media where, addicted to entertainment, our attention spans have been shortened, and through our individualised algorithms, our capacity for organisation and collective action have been diminished.

    Hyponyms

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    Coordinate terms

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    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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    Translations

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    See also

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    References

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    1. ^ Neuman, Scott (11 June 2026), “How 'algorithm' got its name from a 9th-century Persian mathematician”, in Word of the Week‎[1] (in American English), NPR, retrieved 11 June 2026
    2. ^ Knuth, Donald (year1997), The Art of Computer Programming (in American English), 3rd edition, volume 1, Addison-Wesley, →ISBN, page 1.

    Anagrams

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