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• judgment
  judgment

  noun

  an act or instance of judging.
• Judgment
  Judgment

  noun

  the estimate by God of the ultimate worthiness or unworthiness of the individual (the Particular Judgment ) or of all mankind (the General Judgment or Last Judgment )

judgment

American  

[juhj-muhnt] / ˈdʒʌdʒ mənt /

especially British, judgement

noun

• judgments
  plural

1. an act or instance of judging.

   Synonyms:

   determination

2. the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion.

   a man of sound judgment.

   Synonyms:

   prudence, intelligence, wisdom, sagacity, perspicacity, discernment, discrimination

3. the demonstration or exercise of such ability or capacity.

   The major was decorated for the judgment he showed under fire.

4. the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.

   Our judgment as to the cause of his failure must rest on the evidence.

5. the opinion formed.

   He regretted his hasty judgment.

6. Law.

   1. a judicial decision given by a judge or court.

   2. the obligation, especially a debt, arising from a judicial decision.

   3. the certificate embodying such a decision and issued against the obligor, especially a debtor.

7. a misfortune regarded as inflicted by divine sentence, as for sin.

8. Theology. Judgment. Last Judgment.

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judgment ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒʌdʒmənt /

noun

1. the faculty of being able to make critical distinctions and achieve a balanced viewpoint; discernment

2. 1. the decision or verdict pronounced by a court of law

   2. an obligation arising as a result of such a decision or verdict, such as a debt

   3. the document recording such a decision or verdict

   4. ( as modifier )

      a judgment debtor

3. the formal decision of one or more judges at a contest or competition

4. a particular decision or opinion formed in a case in dispute or doubt

5. an estimation

   a good judgment of distance

6. criticism or censure

7. logic

   1. the act of establishing a relation between two or more terms, esp as an affirmation or denial

   2. the expression of such a relation

8. contrary to a more appropriate or preferred course of action

9. 1. to preside as judge

   2. to assume the position of critic

10. in someone's opinion

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Judgment ² British  

/ ˈdʒʌdʒmənt /

noun

1. the estimate by God of the ultimate worthiness or unworthiness of the individual (the Particular Judgment ) or of all mankind (the General Judgment or Last Judgment )

2. God's subsequent decision determining the final destinies of all individuals

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judgment Idioms  

1. see against one's better judgment; snap judgment.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interjudgment
  noun
• rejudgment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• judgments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of judgment

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English jug(g)ement, from Old French jugement, from juge- (stem of jugier “to judge”; see judge) + -ment -ment

Explanation

Judgment is the mental ability to understand something, form an opinion and reach a decision. You have great judgment of character, which is why your friends ask you to meet their significant others when things get serious. A decision is a judgment, unless you let a coin toss decide for you. Use your judgment to determine how much salt to add, or the safest way home. In court, the judge's official decision is called the judgment, and if you condemn someone, even if you're not a judge, we say you've "passed judgment." If you need to explain many parts of the story before your innocence will be clear, ask your listener not to rush to judgment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

judgment Judgment judgments

Rather, their value lies in helping students cultivate judgment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Subtle impacts of aging can work against your better judgment.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Sadly, the $2,000 payment the 82-year-old mother made to her neighbor for clearing her garage is symptomatic of a lapse in judgment about the basic concepts of money, value and reasonableness, compounded by emotion.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and color memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

But dreaming, he had come to learn, was easy; and at Caer Dallben no lives depended on his judgment.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

Titles like “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary” will just disappear from users’ libraries.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

In January, Ho Chi Minh City's Civil Judgment Enforcement Agency said that it was seeking experts to appraise the value of two crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bags seized from Truong My Lan.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

They can use the Judgment Fund, a permanent, uncapped pot of money approved by Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026

A trio of our finest district court judges, and their unflinching battle for equal justice, is the subject of Reynolds Holding’s new book Better Judgment: How Three Judges Are Bringing Justice Back to the Courts.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025

That much Yankee land he’d hold to Judgment Day.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Because the camera never leaves Cushla’s side, anything there is to learn we learn along with her, which pays some dramatic dividends and means we’ll be forced to revise earlier judgments, usually for the better.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

To forge better social connections, weigh whether shyness, cynicism or snap judgments of others hold you back.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

The actual volume of such cases are believed to be even higher, owing to an increasing number of withheld judgments.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

There are no lyrics to bungle or judgments about pitch, just the sensation of instantly getting on the same page with dozens of strangers and sensing the powerful community in that moment.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

“But I fear such judgments can only be made with the gift of hindsight.”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• analysis
• appraisal
• assessment
• award
• belief
• conclusion
• conviction
• decree
• determination
• evaluation
• finding
• idea
• inquiry
• observation
• opinion
• order
• resolution
• result
• review
• ruling