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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

The Anthropic judgment ruled that training on lawfully acquired books is “quintessentially transformative.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Roh appealed a roughly $50 million divorce judgment in 2022, which would have been a fraction of Chey’s assets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Institutional judgment becomes meaningless when operational directives can be rewritten on a whim overnight.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Every index is built on judgment calls — and those choices can move money.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

The disappointment of her friend and the judgment of family flashed before her eyes.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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

Judgment and sobriety are at the heart of effective military decisionmaking.

From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026

Among the last works are red-chalk preparations made about 1908 and 1915 for a painting of “The Judgment of Paris.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

The stairs led up to the hall with its huge painting of Judgment Day.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

"It is particularly painful to hear peremptory judgments from people who have never issued combat orders, never taken responsibility for the lives of personnel," commander Oleg Apostol said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Denning describes culture as encompassing values, norms, judgments, history, communities, moods, and even relationships involving power and care.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The lenders sued, alleging she didn’t repay the money, and obtained default judgments against Nguyen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Duchamp’s obsession with appearing detached from conventional aesthetic judgments elevated him to an exalted status among his peers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

For one thing, instinctive judgments rely on experience, and we don’t experience everything that happens on a basketball court or a baseball diamond.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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