heuristic
hyoo-RIS-tik
/hjʊˈrɪs.tɪk/
Enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves; a 'rule of thumb' or mental shortcut used to solve problems quickly.
A heuristic is not guaranteed to be perfect or optimal, but it is 'good enough' for immediate goals when a perfect solution is too complex.
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'heuriskein,' meaning 'to find' or 'discover.' This is the same root as the famous word 'Eureka!' (I have found it!).
Word relationships
- shortcut: Shortcut is informal; heuristic is the formal, academic term for a problem-solving shortcut.
- rule of thumb: Rule of thumb is a common idiom; heuristic is the technical equivalent.
- algorithm: An algorithm is a precise, guaranteed set of rules; a heuristic is a practical, 'good enough' shortcut.
Commonly confused with
- logic: Logic is formal reasoning; a heuristic is a practical, often intuitive, shortcut.
Word family
- heuristics (noun): The study of heuristic methods.
Collocations
- heuristic method
- heuristic approach
- mental heuristic
- heuristic evaluation
Example sentences
- "Heuristic search is the core of problem solving." Discussing human decision-making.
- "The manager used a simple heuristic: always put the most popular items closest to the loading dock to save time." Managing a warehouse.
Memory hook
Think of 'Eureka!'—a heuristic helps you 'find' a solution quickly. A 'good enough' find.
When not to use
Don't use it for a strict, step-by-step mathematical formula (that's an algorithm).
Fun facts
- The 'availability heuristic' is a common mental bias where people judge the probability of an event based on how easily they can remember examples of it.
Related words
Explore more words
resourceful, utilitarian, usability, intuitive, algorithmic, intuition
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