judiciously
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of judiciously
Explanation
When you do something judiciously, you use common sense or good judgment. It's important for juries to act judiciously when they're making a decision about a verdict. If you're giving someone bad news, it's best to speak judiciously, carefully considering how your words will be received, and when a teacher chooses one student to be his assistant for the day, he should choose judiciously so the others don't get their feelings hurt. The adverb judiciously comes from the Latin iudicium, "judgment," by way of the Middle French judicieux.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Your $400,000 inheritance can be used to supplement your current income and, if managed judiciously — go easy on the gifts — it could last you into your 80s and beyond.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026
Man Ray is handled more judiciously in “Dreamworld.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025
How can we balance a desire to see movies judiciously with that little voice in our head that repeats, “Watch Tom Cruise do death-defying stunts” on a loop for six straight weeks every other summer?
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2025
Sometimes there is drama, and often there is sentiment, and even, at judiciously spaced intervals, a little bit of heartbreak.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2024
Lyra imagined the Chaplain speaking loftily, listening to the star daemons’ remarks, and then nodding judiciously or shaking his head in regret.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
