judicious means having, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking. It carries an Arena rating of 1711, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, judicious ranks #708 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,540 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #5,486 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #7,440 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
judicious is pronounced /dʒuˈdɪʃ.əs/.
Why “judicious” is a great word
Possessing or demonstrating sound judgment and balanced reasoning in decision-making. From Middle French *judicieux*, from Latin *iudicium* ("judgment, trial") + *-osus* ("full of"), ultimately from *iudico* ("to judge"). Unlike "prudent," which emphasizes cautious foresight to avoid risk, or "sagacious," which implies profound, intuitive wisdom, *judicious* stresses the practical application of measured discernment. It is the precise amount of salt in the soup, the surgeon's calibrated pause before the incision, and the selection of a single essential detail from a surfeit of noise—reason made visible, the quiet triumph of mind over impulse.
Etymology
From French judicieux, ultimately derived from Latin iudico. Related to judge, judicial.
adj
- Having, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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