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

The measure also seeks to force insurers to be more judicious with denials, by fining them up to $1 million per case if more than half of appeals filed with regulators are overturned in a year. —Christine Mai-Duc, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025

The answer to those needs is the judicious use of generative AI. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

So Bell's instincts were judicious, even if that meant that Sunday's 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards (which Bell is both hosting and among the nominees) was canceled. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025

Adding an onion, a few cloves of garlic, a spoonful of peppercorns, and a bay leaf won’t hurt, but be judicious with seasonings. —Alexis Deboschnek, Bon Appétit, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for judicious

• adventitious
• cementitious
• expeditious
• inauspicious
• injudicious
• meretricious
• repetitious
• superstitious
• surreptitious
• unambitious
• unpropitious
• unsuspicious

Kids Definition

judicious

adjective

ju·​di·​cious ju̇-ˈdish-əs 

: having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment

judiciously adverb