combinatorial

adjective

com·​bi·​na·​to·​ri·​al ˌkäm-bə-nə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

kəm-ˌbī-nə-,

-(ˌ)bi-

1

: of, relating to, or involving combinations

2

: of or relating to the arrangement of, operation on, and selection of discrete mathematical elements belonging to finite sets or making up geometric configurations

combinatorially

ˌkäm-bə-nə-ˈtȯr-ē-ə-lē 

kəm-ˌbī-nə-

-(ˌ)bi-

adverb

Examples of combinatorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a classic pattern: personalization at the front end multiplies combinatorial complexity at the back end. —Stephen Wunker, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025

But one challenge doing it manually has to do with the underlying combinatorial complexity involved in freight bids. —Edmund Zagorin, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Catalog instead uses a method called combinatorial assembly, which the company likens to the Gutenberg printing press. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025

The combinatorial space for the yeast genome — natural or synthetic — is vast; exploring it and tweaking each genetic component individually to understand its purpose and context is impractically slow. —Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for combinatorial

• ambassadorial
• conspiratorial
• gladiatorial
• gubernatorial
• inquisitorial
• mediatorial
• multifactorial
• prosecutorial
• supratentorial
• arboreal
• armorial
• authorial