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heuristic

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heuristic

Main Entry:: ¹heu·ris·tic
Pronunciation:: \hyu̇-ˈris-tik\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: German heuristisch, from New Latin heuristicus, from Greek heuriskein to discover; akin to Old Irish fo-fúair he found
Date:: 1821

: involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods <heuristic techniques> <a heuristic assumption>; also : of or relating to exploratory problem-solving techniques that utilize self-educating techniques (as the evaluation of feedback) to improve performance <a heuristic computer program>

— heu·ris·ti·cal·ly

Listen to the pronunciation of heuristically

\-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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