“Heuristic” developed from the Greek word “heuriskein,” which means “find.” When used as an adjective, it describes a method of discovery — a heuristic process allows a person to learn something for themselves. A self-taught artist, for example, is someone who has developed skills in a heuristic manner through experimenting with different materials and styles. In everyday life, we might engage in a heuristic way of learning if we look for another route to avoid traffic without knowing the way. The word can also be used as a noun to refer to a specific piece of information used to guide the decision-making process. For example, one heuristic for judging whether to purchase an item could be how many times you expect to use it.