judgment call
Americannoun
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Sports. an observational ruling by a referee or umpire that is necessarily subjective because of the disputable nature of the play in question, and one that may be appealed but not protested, as opposed to a matter of official rule interpretation.
Balks and close plays at first are of course judgment calls, and umpires are human.
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any subjective or debatable determination; personal opinion or interpretation.
Etymology
Origin of judgment call
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
She said she grew comfortable once she saw the results were based on hard data, not someone’s judgment call.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
“I’m not going to make a judgment call on one video,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
Especially because you now know the airline won’t make that judgment call for you.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025
Szabo, while addressing the council, called the decision on the expansion “the ultimate judgment call that only you can make.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025
“It’s a judgment call, Mr. Hooks,” Art Moran said.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
