- Main Entry:
- al·go·rithm

- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈal-gə-ˌri-thəm\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- alteration of Middle English algorisme, from Old French & Medieval Latin; Old French, from Medieval Latin algorismus, from Arabic al-khuwārizmi, from al-Khwārizmī fl a.d. 825 Islamic mathematician
- Date:
- 1926
: a procedure for solving a mathematical problem (as of finding the greatest common divisor) in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation; broadly : a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer
—
al·go·rith·mic
\ˌal-gə-ˈrith-mik\ adjective
—
al·go·rith·mi·cal·ly
\-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb