judicious

adjective

ju·​di·​cious jü-ˈdi-shəs 

: having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment

judicious investments

a judicious decision

judiciously adverb

judiciousness noun

Synonyms

• discreet
• intelligent
• judgmatic
• judgmatical
• prudent

Choose the Right Synonym for judicious

wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment.

wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.

wise beyond his tender years

sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

Examples of judicious in a Sentence

judicious use of our resources

Judicious planning now can prevent problems later.

Recent Examples on the Web

Conclusion Being judicious about allocating resources is one of the most important jobs for C-suite technology leaders. —Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

Sony is similarly judicious with motion smoothing, which irons out choppier images and hard camera pans effectively on the lowest settings, without making film content look weird. —Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2024

Sofia Kenin took out 2021 champion Emma Raducanu in three sets, with a display of slice forehands, judicious moonballs, and ripped groundstrokes that sent a player already lacking rhythm into a tailspin. —James Hansen, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024

Otto wants Aegon to be more Viserys, dignified and judicious. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

judicious

adjective

ju·​di·​cious ju̇-ˈdish-əs 

: having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment

judiciously adverb