prejudge
Americanverb (used with object)
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to judge beforehand.
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to pass judgment on prematurely or without sufficient reflection or investigation.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have prejudgedperfect
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has prejudgedperfect 3rd person singular
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is prejudgingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are prejudgingprogressive
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have been prejudgingperfect progressive
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has been prejudgingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am prejudgingprogressive 1st person singular
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prejudgessingular 3rd person
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prejudgingparticiple
Past
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had prejudgedperfect
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had been prejudgingperfect progressive
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were prejudgingprogressive plural
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was prejudgingprogressive singular
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prejudgedparticiple
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prejudgedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of prejudge
1555–65; < French préjuger < Latin praejūdicāre. See pre-, judge
Explanation
To prejudge is to make a decision about something before you have all the facts. If you prejudge a game, you decide who’s going to win before it starts. Better hold off on the victory party until it’s over. When you judge someone or something, you "form an opinion or a conclusion" about it. Adding the "before" prefix pre- to that means you come to this conclusion before you should. If an actual judge in a court of law were to prejudge her cases, she'd make her decisions before hearing any evidence at all. When you prejudge, you count your chickens before they hatch.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the confirmation hearing last month, Warsh said he wouldn’t prejudge policy decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Brussels has said the opening of an in-depth investigation does not prejudge its outcome.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
He said evidence revealed through the inquiry had a "significant effect" on uncovering the truth about the hospital, but that he did not want to prejudge the findings of the probe.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
For the overall effect of the film, it was very important that everyone keep a natural tone and not judge or prejudge their character.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024
“You cannot prejudge people in this business,” he said over and over when we met, and each time he used that phrase, his face took on a look of utter conviction.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
