Home UK English satisfice

Meaning of satisfice in English:

satisfice

Pronunciation /ˈsatɪsfʌɪs/

verb

[no object]formal

  • Decide on and pursue a course of action that will satisfy the minimum requirements necessary to achieve a particular goal.

    ‘it talks about telling you not to just satisfice but to always look for the best’
    • ‘As Simon pointed out, we usually ‘satisfice’ instead of optimizing difficult problems due to limited time and insight, settling for a solution that is good enough.’
    fulfil, gratify, meet, fill, serve, provide for, supply

Origin

Mid 16th century (in the sense ‘satisfy’): alteration of satisfy, influenced by Latin satisfacere. The formal use dates from the 1950s.