heuristic

[hyoo-ris-tik or, often, yoo-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR heuristic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

serving to indicate or point out; stimulating interest as a means of furthering investigation.

encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error: a heuristic teaching method.

of, relating to, or based on experimentation, evaluation, or trial-and-error methods.

Computers, Mathematics. pertaining to a trial-and-error method of problem solving used when an algorithmic approach is impractical.

noun

a heuristic method of argument.

the study of heuristic procedure.

Origin of heuristic

1815–25; < New Latin heuristicus, equivalent to Greek heur(ískein) to find out, discover + Latin -isticus -istic

Related formsheu·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·heu·ris·tic, adjectiveun·heu·ris·tic, adjectiveun·heu·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for heuristic

searching, questioning, interrogative, interested, prying, probing, examining, heuristic, analytical, doubtful, inquisitive, nosy, quizzical, speculative, studious, investigative, Socratic, catechistic, fact-finding, investigatory

Examples from the Web for heuristic

Contemporary Examples of heuristic

He developed a heuristic for betting on Daily Doubles (which resulted in a wager of $5, the minimum allowed).
How I Taught Arthur Chu to Be the ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Everyone Loves to Hate
Keith Williams
February 21, 2014

Historical Examples of heuristic

Is there any need to prove the capital importance of Heuristic?
Introduction to the Study of History
Charles V. Langlois
In all other cases, as we have already pointed out, assumption and probability have only a heuristic value for us lawyers.
Criminal Psychology
Hans Gross
And the aim is heuristic, though often enough the search ends in no overt positive conclusion.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 8
Various
Over time, actions became simpler while languages acquired the complexity of the heuristic experience.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
The heuristic attempt to establish new patterns of human interaction through art reflects the uncertainty.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for heuristic

heuristic

adjective

helping to learn; guiding in discovery or investigation

(of a method of teaching) allowing pupils to learn things for themselves

maths science philosophyusing or obtained by exploration of possibilities rather than by following set rules
computingdenoting a rule of thumb for solving a problem without the exhaustive application of an algorithma heuristic solution

noun

(plural) the science of heuristic procedure

Derived Formsheuristically, adverb

Word Origin for heuristic

C19: from New Latin heuristicus, from Greek heuriskein to discover

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for heuristic

adj.

"serving to discover or find out," 1821, irregular formation from Greek heuretikos "inventive," related to heuriskein "to find" (from PIE *were- "to find;" cf. Old Irish fuar "I have found") + -istic. As a noun, from 1860.