Word: judicious (adjective)

Associations

"Judicious" means showing good judgment or being wise in making decisions. It is often used when someone carefully thinks about something before acting.

• She made a judicious choice by saving money for emergencies. This means she was wise and careful with her decision.
• The manager gave judicious advice to the team, helping them avoid mistakes. Here, it means the advice was smart and well thought out.
• Using water judiciously during a drought is important. This means using water carefully and wisely. A synonym is "wise," but "judicious" often emphasizes careful thought and fairness, not just intelligence.

Substitution

Instead of "judicious," you can use:

• wise (a bit more general, means smart)
• sensible (focuses on being practical)
• prudent (focuses on being careful, especially about the future) Using these changes the tone slightly; "judicious" sounds more formal and thoughtful.

Deconstruction

The root is "judge," which means to decide or form an opinion. The suffix "-ious" means "full of" or "having the quality of." So, "judicious" means "full of good judgment." It comes from Latin "judicium," meaning judgment or decision.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to be judicious in making a choice?
• How is being judicious different from just being quick or impulsive?
• In what situations is it especially important to be judicious?