heuristics

English

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heuristics

/hjuˈɹɪstɪks/ UK
/hjʊˈɹɪstɪks/ UK
/hjuˈɹɪstɪks/ Canada, US
/hjəˈɹɪstɪks/ Canada, US

Where it comes from

From heuristic, from German heuristisch, from New Latin heuristicus by irregular formation from Ancient Greek εὑρίσκω (heurískō, “I discover”).

noun

plural plural of heuristic

noun

plural, plural only The study of heuristic methods and principles.
plural, plural only Heuristic methods and approaches considered collectively. Problem solving based on experience of working with other problems which share some characteristics of the current problem, but for which no algorithm is known. Good heuristics can reduce the time needed to solve problems by recognizing which possible approaches are unlikely to be successful. George
broadly, plural, plural only Simple, efficient rules which people often use to form judgments and make decisions.
broadly, plural, plural only Experience-based methods used to reduce the need for calculations pertaining to equipment size, performance, or operating conditions.

Translations

Every language

noun Translations

Español	heurística
中文	啟發法 /启发法 qǐfā fǎ
Português	heurística
Français	heuristique
Deutsch	Heuristik
Italiano	euristica
Русский	эври́стика evrístika

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Cite this

MLA

"heuristics." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/heuristics. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

heuristics. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/heuristics

Chicago

"heuristics." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/heuristics.

BibTeX

@misc{heuristics_2026,
  title = {heuristics},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/heuristics},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}