judiciously
Americanadverb
Other Word 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.
Retailers are shifting strategies as households spend more judiciously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
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
The key is to use the information judiciously without overloading the audience with facts and statistics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper urged ministers to use the "unprecedented legislation judiciously".
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025
There were no pheasant-shooting proprietors then, to see that the undergrowth was thinned, and not one thousandth part of the number of the present-day timber merchants who prune judiciously at the few remaining woods.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
