heuristic
4 synonyms and 2 antonyms for heuristic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A practical rule of thumb that lets someone reach a workable answer quickly, without guaranteeing it is the best one.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A practical rule of thumb that lets someone reach a workable answer quickly, without guaranteeing it is the best one.
“A useful heuristic is to assume any task will take twice as long as you think.”
2. adjective
Using trial, experience and approximation to find a good-enough solution rather than working through every possibility.
“The router uses a heuristic algorithm to pick a route in milliseconds.”
Opposites
How to Use Heuristic
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Formal and academic, but common in design, computing and business writing.
Etymology
From Greek heuriskein 'to find, discover', the same root as eureka.
Full origin of heuristic →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a heuristic and an algorithm?
An algorithm follows fixed steps and, if correct, always produces the right answer. A heuristic trades that guarantee for speed: it usually gets close enough, but it can fail. Chess engines use both, an exact search where it is affordable and heuristics elsewhere.
What is a heuristic in psychology?
A mental shortcut people use to judge situations quickly, such as assuming something is common because examples come easily to mind. These shortcuts work well most of the time but produce predictable biases.
How do you pronounce heuristic?
hyoo-RIS-tik, with the stress on the second syllable. The h is pronounced, and the start rhymes with the beginning of human.