Here is the algorithm definition in plain words: an algorithm is a list of exact steps that, when followed in order, solves a problem or completes a task. The steps must be clear enough that anyone, or any machine, can follow them and reach the same result.
People often link the word only with computers, yet you use algorithms every day. Long division, a recipe and the way you sort laundry by color are all step by step methods. This page answers what is the meaning of algorithm in English and also covers its roots and the way it turns up in offices, classrooms and headlines.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A precise, ordered method for solving a problemPart of speech
Noun (countable): one algorithm, two algorithmsPronunciation
AL-guh-rith-umWord forms
algorithmic (adjective), algorithmically (adverb)Origin
From the name of al-Khwarizmi, a ninth century Persian mathematicianClose words
procedure, method, formula, processRegister
Neutral; technical in maths and computing
What does algorithm mean?
To define algorithm well, notice the three traits separating it from a vague plan:
- Clear steps. Each step says exactly what to do, with no guessing.
- A set order. The steps run in sequence, sometimes repeating or branching with rules like if this, then that.
- An end point. It finishes and gives an answer or result.
A note saying clean the kitchen is a goal. A list saying clear the counter, wash the plates, wipe the stove, sweep from the back to the door is much closer to an algorithm.
A worked example anyone can follow
Suppose you want the largest number in a list such as 14, 3, 27, 9.
- Write down the first number, 14, as your current largest.
- Look at the next number. If it is bigger than your current largest, replace it.
- Repeat step 2 until no numbers are left.
- The number you are holding is the answer.
Follow it and you get 27 every time. A computer runs the very same logic, only millions of times faster. That reliability is what makes an algorithm useful.
Algorithm definition in computing and online life
In computer science, an algorithm is the logic behind a program, written before it becomes code. Search engines use algorithms to rank pages, maps use them to find the shortest route and shops use them to suggest products.
In everyday talk, the algorithm now often means the hidden rules a social app uses to choose which posts you see. You might hear, The algorithm keeps showing me cooking videos. Systems built with machine learning and AI also rely on algorithms, though their rules are learned from data instead of written by hand. Read more on the artificial intelligence page.
Sentences using algorithm
- The bank changed its algorithm for spotting unusual card payments.
- Our maths teacher showed us a quick algorithm for multiplying by eleven.
- She wrote an algorithm that sorts customer emails by how urgent they are.
- Critics say the hiring algorithm may repeat old bias if it learns from unfair past data.
From a mathematician's name to a modern word
The word traces back to al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematician of the ninth century whose writings helped bring Hindu-Arabic numerals and new methods of calculation to Europe. Medieval Latin turned his name into algorismus, and Middle English had algorism, meaning the system of Arabic numerals.
The later spelling with -thm grew from a mistaken link with the Greek word arithmos, number. Over time the meaning widened from a counting system to any step by step method, and in the twentieth century it became closely tied to computers.
Algorithm, formula, program: what is the difference?
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | The ordered steps for solving a problem |
| Formula | A rule written as symbols, like area equals length times width |
| Program | An algorithm written in a language a computer can run |
| Procedure | Any set way of doing something, often less strict |
| Logarithm | A maths term for powers of a number; not the same word |
Algorithm and logarithm use almost the same letters in a different order, which causes plenty of spelling slips. Also note the spelling: no y, so not algorythm. More tech vocabulary sits in our science and technology words section.
Frequently asked questions
In simple English, what is the definition of algorithm for a beginner?
An algorithm is a set of exact steps to solve a problem. You follow the steps in order and get a result. Recipes and maths methods are everyday examples.
Is an algorithm the same as code?
Not quite. The algorithm is the idea, the logic of the steps. Code is that logic written in a language a computer understands. One algorithm can be written in many languages.
How do you pronounce algorithm?
It sounds like AL-guh-rith-um, with the first syllable loudest. The adjective algorithmic moves the beat: al-guh-RITH-mik.
What does the algorithm mean on social media?
People use the algorithm to mean the rules an app uses to decide which posts appear in your feed. These rules weigh things like what you watch, like and share.
Who invented the algorithm?
No single person invented the idea; ancient mathematicians already used step by step methods, such as one for finding the greatest common divisor of two numbers. The word itself comes from the name of the scholar al-Khwarizmi.
What is the plural of algorithm?
The plural is algorithms. It is a normal countable noun, so you can say an algorithm, several algorithms or a new set of algorithms.