Definition of “judgment” - English Dictionary

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“judgment” in English

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judgmentnoun

also judgement uk ​ /ˈdʒʌdʒ.mənt/ us ​ /ˈdʒʌdʒ.mənt/

judgment noun (DECIDE)

C2 [ U ] the ability to form valuable opinions and make good decisions:

to show good/sound/poor judgment
I don't think you have the right to pass judgment (on others) (= to say whether you think other people are good or bad).
I'm going to reserve judgment (on the decision) (= not say whether I think it is good or bad) for the time being.

B2 [ C ] a decision or opinion about someone or something that you form after thinking carefully:

It proved difficult to come to/form/make a judgment about how well the school was performing.
in sb's judgment

› according to someone's opinion:

In my judgment, we should let the solicitor deal with this.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

against your better judgment

(Definition of “judgment” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“judgment” in American English

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judgmentnoun [ C/U ]

also judgement us ​ /ˈdʒʌdʒ·mənt/

judgment noun [ C/U ] (DECISIONS)

› the ability to make decisions or to make good decisions, or the act of developing an opinion, esp. after careful thought:

[ U ] to show good/poor judgment
[ U ] They questioned his judgment in buying land he had never seen.

› A judgment is a decision:

[ C ] We were asked to make a number of difficult judgments.

judgment noun [ C/U ] (LAW)

› a decision in a court of law

(Definition of “judgment” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“judgment” in Business English

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judgmentnoun

UK also judgement uk ​ /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/ us ​

› [ C or U ] a decision that you make, or an opinion that you have, after considering all the facts in a situation:

Shareholders should back the company's judgement and take up their rights.
Financial analysts make informed judgments about how stock markets are likely to perform.
make/form/reach a judgment (about/on sth) We tend to make judgments about people at work based on our first impressions.

› [ U ] the ability to make good decisions or to form sensible opinions about something:

Careful judgement will be needed in deciding whether it is trade policy or environmental policy which must be adjusted.
Newspaper editors are sometimes guilty of errors in judgement.
sound/good/poor judgment Sound judgment is essential because decisions we make directly affect people's health and safety.
professional/business judgment
exercise/use your judgment We rely on trustees to exercise their judgment in overseeing financial procedures
trust/doubt/question sb's judgment Junior employees are often reluctant to question the judgment of their bosses.
People should not be forced, against their better judgment, into taking out loans they cannot repay.
in sb's judgment In my judgement, this is the biggest foreign policy mistake the country has ever made.

› [ C or U ] LAW a final decision made by a judge in a court of law:

HM Revenue & Customs is using the recent judgement to argue that UK shareholders in offshore companies should pay income tax.
judgment against sb/sth They won a $2.8 million judgment against the insurer for shortchanging them for storm damage to their home.
a County Court/Supreme Court judgment
a €500,000/$16.8 million, etc. judgment She won a $450,000 judgment after convincing jurors she was subject to sexual harassment.
hand down/issue/uphold a judgment
pass judgment

› to express an opinion, especially a criticism:

It's up to our court system, not individual citizens, to pass judgment and punish them.
pass judgment on sb/sth The shares were only floated this summer, so it is too early to pass judgement on their performance.
reserve judgment

› to wait until more information about something is available before expressing an opinion, making a decision, or taking action:

People in the industry are reserving judgement until more details of the takeover emerge.
reserve judgment on/about sth The three appeal judges reserved judgment on both cases.
sit in judgment on sb

› to criticize someone, especially when you have no right to do so:

Campaigners insist it is the job of politicians to govern, not to sit in moral judgment on people's lifestyles.

See also

default judgment
deficiency judgment
summary judgment
value judgment

(Definition of “judgment” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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