heuristics

British

/ hjʊəˈrɪstɪks /

noun

(functioning as singular) maths logic a method or set of rules for solving problems other than by algorithm See also algorithm artificial intelligence

"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

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.

At the very least, these models are useful heuristics amid extreme uncertainty—and right now, we need all the good heuristics we can get.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

The default heuristics are intended to help the user get started.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2024

When faced with a hard problem, we use mental shortcuts called heuristics to help us make decisions without fully understanding everything about the problem we’re facing.

From Scientific American • Jun. 3, 2022

These two Israeli psychologists pioneered the study of mental shortcuts that humans rely on to make decisions, known as heuristics.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2022

At the same time, it is constitutive, together with many other elements of human praxis: biological endowment, heuristics and logic, dialectic, training.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023