OXFORD DICTIONARY
heuristic, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 allowing or assisting to discover.
2 Computing proceeding to a solution by trial and error.
--n.
1 the science of heuristic procedure.
2 a heuristic process or method.
3 (in pl., usu. treated as sing.) Computing the study and use of heuristic techniques in data processing.
heuristic method a system of education under which pupils are trained to find out things for themselves.
heuristically adv.
irreg. f. Gk heurisko find
THESAURUS
heuristic
analytic, cut-and-try, empirical, examinational, examinatorial, examining, experimental, explorational, explorative, exploratory, fact-finding, feeling, groping, hit-or-miss, indagative, inspectional, inspectorial, investigational, investigative, investigatory, pilot, probationary, probative, probatory, proving, provisional, tentative, test, testing, trial, trial-and-error, trying, verificatory, zetetic