Satisfice

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsætɪsfaɪs/

Definitions

1. To select a choice that meets basic needs without seeking the best alternative
2. To opt for an acceptable solution rather than the ideal one available
3. To make a decision that fulfills minimum requirements instead of pursuing the top possible outcome

Etymology: Herbert A. Simon, the American political scientist and psychologist, coined this word in 1956 by blending "satisfy" with "suffice". He needed a term for a decision-making strategy he had been studying: choosing the first option that is good enough, rather than hunting for the optimum. Two familiar verbs were combined to name that idea. The "satisfy" half has a longer, stranger past. A northern English form of the word, a variant of "satisfy", turns up in 1560, and its spelling was probably shaped by the Latin "satisfacere", meaning "to do enough". Simon's blend therefore reached back to a Latin root through a regional English variant.

Synonyms: settle, compromise, accept, concede, yield

Antonyms: strive, pursue, demand, require, expect