कंप्यूटर प्रोग्रामिंग
Computer programming language | Types & Examples - Britannica
Computer programming language, any of various languages for expressing a set of detailed instructions for a computer. The earliest programming languages ...
algorithms
ALGOL ( algo rithmic l anguage) was designed by a committee of American and European computer scientists during 1958–60 for publishing <anchor>algorithms</anchor>, as well as for doing computations. Like LISP (described in the next section), ALGOL had recursive subprograms—procedures that could invoke themselves to solve a problem by reducing it to a smaller problem of the same kind. ALGOL introduced block structure, in which a program is composed of blocks that might contain both data and instructions and have the same structure as an entire program. Block structure became a powerful tool for building large programs out of small components.
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# algorithm

## [noun](/dictionary/noun)

al·​go·​rithm[ˈal-gə-ˌri-t͟həm ![How to pronounce algorithm (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/algorithm?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=a&file=algori01 "How to pronounce algorithm (audio)")

**:** a procedure for solving a mathematical problem (as of finding the greatest [common divisor](/dictionary/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

There are several search engines, with Google, Yahoo and Bing being the biggest players. Each search engine has its own proprietary computation (called an "algorithm") that ranks websites for each keyword or combination of keywords. —![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Julie Brinton

… sometimes you solve a problem by coming up with an algorithm of some kind. But sometimes you solve a problem in a very ad hoc sort of way. —![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)William H. Huggins

algorithmic

[ˌal-gə-ˈrit͟h-mik ![How to pronounce algorithm (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/algorithm?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=a&file=algori02 "How to pronounce algorithm (audio)")

adjective

algorithmically

[ˌal-gə-ˈrit͟h-mi-k(ə-)lē ![How to pronounce algorithm (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/algorithm?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=a&file=algori03 "How to pronounce algorithm (audio)")

adverb

![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/lightbulb-icon.svg)

## Did you know?

What Does algorithm Mean?

The current term of choice for a problem-solving procedure, _algorithm_, is commonly used nowadays for the set of rules a machine (and especially a computer) follows to achieve a particular goal. It does not always apply to computer-mediated activity, however. The term may as accurately be used of the steps followed in making a pizza or solving a Rubik’s Cube as for computer-powered data analysis.

_Algorithm_ is often paired with words specifying the activity for which a set of rules have been designed. A _search algorithm_, for example, is a procedure that determines what kind of information is retrieved from a large mass of data. An _encryption algorithm_ is a set of rules by which information or messages are encoded so that unauthorized persons cannot read them.

Though first attested in the early 20th century (and, until recently, used strictly as a term of mathematics and computing), _algorithm_ has a surprisingly deep history. It was formed from _algorism_ “the system of Arabic numerals,” a word that goes back to Middle English and ultimately stems from the name of a 9th-century Persian mathematician, abu-Jaʽfar Mohammed ibn-Mūsa al-Khuwārizmi, who did important work in the fields of algebra and numeric systems.

## Examples of _algorithm_ in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the WebChanges to the _algorithms_ that power Google Search or Facebook’s Feed can make or break media companies.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Kate Knibbs, _WIRED_, 20 Aug. 2024 These platforms leverage a combination of AI _algorithms_, user feedback, and manual verification processes to swiftly detect and mitigate the spread of deep fakes across their respective platforms.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Sol Rashidi, _Forbes_, 17 Aug. 2024 Reddit is currently the beneficiary of Google’s _algorithm_, but that can change.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Jonathan Vanian, _CNBC_, 14 Aug. 2024 Leaders lectured Internet users about media literacy and pushed for the tweaking of _algorithms_.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Joshua Rothman, _The New Yorker_, 13 Aug. 2024 [See all Example Sentences for _algorithm_![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar.svg)![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar-hover.svg)](/sentences/algorithm)

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'algorithm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. [Send us feedback](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GAQr3Kn1cURCVHUA82hAga1Wv8DCH0IuqDLRUrOpN7M/viewform?ts=63f4f653&entry.1515682415=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary%2Falgorithm) about these examples.


## Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English _algorisme_, from Old French & Medieval Latin; Old French, from Medieval Latin _algorismus_, from Arabic _al-khuwārizmi_, from _al-Khwārizmī flourished_ a.d. 825 Islamic mathematician

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined [above](#h1)

Time Traveler

The first known use of _algorithm_ was
in 1926

[See more words from the same year](/time-traveler/1926?src=defrecirc-timetraveler-etycard)

## Phrases Containing _algorithm_

- [Euclidean algorithm](/dictionary/Euclidean%20algorithm)

## Articles Related to _algorithm_

[![cat using abacus for arithmetic](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)\
\
We Told You There'd Be No Math. (We...\
\
Grab your protractor.](/wordplay/algebra-calculus-other-types-of-math)

## Dictionary Entries Near _algorithm_

[algorist](/dictionary/algorist)

algorithm

[algorithmics](/dictionary/algorithmics)

[See More Nearby Entries ![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-blue.svg)](/browse/dictionary/a/24)

## Cite this Entry

Style

MLAChicagoAPAMerriam-Webster

“Algorithm.” _Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary_, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/algorithm. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

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## Kids Definition

algorithm

noun

al·​go·​rithm[ˈal-gə-ˌrit͟h-əm ![How to pronounce algorithm (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/algorithm?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=a&file=algori01 "How to pronounce algorithm (audio)")

**:** a step-by-step method for solving a problem (as finding the greatest common divisor) or accomplishing a goal

## More from Merriam-Webster on _algorithm_

Nglish: [Translation of _algorithm_ for Spanish Speakers](http://www.nglish.com/spanish/algorithm)

Britannica English: [Translation of _algorithm_ for Arabic Speakers](http://arabic.britannicaenglish.com/algorithm)

Britannica.com: [Encyclopedia article about _algorithm_](https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/15174/algorithm)

Last Updated:3 Sep 2024 \- Updated example sentences

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