judicious

ju·di·cious
J8U1D2I1C3I1O1U1S1
UK/dʒuˈdɪʃ.əs/

adjective

Having, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking.

Less commonScrabble 19Word of the Day · Mar 7, 2026

Meanings

adjectivejudicious (comparative more judicious, superlative most judicious)

comparative more judicious · superlative most judicious

  1. Having, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking.

    Such practices as Theſe, too groſs to lye / Long unobſerv'd by each diſcerning Eye, / The more judicious Iſraelites Unſpell'd, / Though ſtill the Charm the giddy Rabble held, […]

    1682, [Nahum Tate; John Dryden], The Second Part of Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 5
    2 more examples

    One hall called Civil Law Hall or School, flouriſhed about this time (though in its buildings decayed) by the care of the learned and judicious Dr. Will. Warham Principal or Moderator thereof [...]

    1792, Anthony à Wood, “An. Dom. 1503, 18–19 Hen. VII”, in The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford: […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Gutch, →OCLC, page 661

    This project has stripped away modern PVCu and aluminium shop fronts to reveal original or 1930s Art Deco work, with judicious repairs and replacements as necessary, plus stonework repairs and the restoration of traditional London Transport signage.

    2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Great Western Railway Craft Skills Award: Victoria Arcade”, in RAIL, number 946, page 59

    Synonyms: sagacious, prudent, sensible, wise · Antonyms: injudicious, unwise, imprudent, foolish

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving, characterized by, or done with good judgment or sound thinking.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivemarked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latiniudico
  2. Frenchjudicieux
  3. Englishjudicious

From French judicieux, ultimately derived from Latin iudico. Related to judge, judicial.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ذِهْنِيّ
  • ذِهْنِيّ (ḏihniyy)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Bulgarian разумен, здравомислещ
  • разумен (razumen)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • здравомислещ (zdravomislešt)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Chinese Mandarin 明智的, 審慎的 /审慎的
  • 明智的 (míngzhì de)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • 審慎的 /审慎的 (shěnshèn de)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Czech rozvážný, uvážlivý
  • rozvážnýhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • uvážlivýhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Dutch oordeelkundig
  • oordeelkundighaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Finnish järkevä, arvostelukykyinen
  • järkevähaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • arvostelukykyinenhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
French judicieux
  • judicieuxhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
German wohlüberlegt, besonnen
  • wohlüberlegthaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • besonnenhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Irish stuama, tuisceanach
  • stuamahaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • tuisceanachhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Japanese 賢明な, 判断力のある
  • 賢明な (kenmei na)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • 判断力のある (handanryoku no aru)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Latin sapiens
  • sapienshaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Polish rozsądny, roztropny
  • rozsądnyhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • roztropnyhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • rozważnyhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Portuguese judicioso
  • judiciosohaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Russian рассудительный
  • рассудительный (rassuditelʹnyj)having or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Spanish juicioso, criterioso
  • juiciosohaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • criteriosohaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Swedish omdömesgill, klok
  • omdömesgillhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • klokhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • förståndighaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Turkish mâkul
  • mâkulhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
Welsh doeth, synhwyrgall
  • doethhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking
  • synhwyrgallhaving or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with judicious

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

judicious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judicious

MLA

“judicious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judicious. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “judicious,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judicious.

Source: judicious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.