judicious

adjective

ju·​di·​cious jü-ˈdi-shəs How to pronounce judicious (audio)
: having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment
judicious investments
a judicious decision
judiciously adverb
judiciousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for judicious

wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment.

wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.

wise beyond his tender years

sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

Examples of judicious in a Sentence

judicious use of our resources Judicious planning now can prevent problems later.
Recent Examples on the Web Humans still do their thinking and make judicious use of generative AI to augment their thinking. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Policymakers think the economy is basically holding up fine, which would mean more judicious quarter-point reductions from here. Neil Irwin, Axios, 23 Sep. 2024 Real peace relies on a far more judicious and challenging exercise of international diplomacy. Eric Min, Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2024 Not all the time, but enough of the time with judicious selection such that there is often tremendous value in engaging a chain-of-thought process in generative AI. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for judicious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'judicious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of judicious was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near judicious

Cite this Entry

“Judicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judicious. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

judicious

adjective
ju·​di·​cious ju̇-ˈdish-əs How to pronounce judicious (audio)
: having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment
judiciously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on judicious

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