judgment

noun judg·ment \ˈjəj-mənt\

: an opinion or decision that is based on careful thought

: the act or process of forming an opinion or making a decision after careful thought : the act of judging something or someone

: the ability to make good decisions about what should be done

Full Definition of JUDGMENT

a : a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion

b : an opinion so pronounced

a : a formal decision given by a court

b (1) : an obligation (as a debt) created by the decree of a court (2) : a certificate evidencing such a decree

a capitalized : the final judging of humankind by God

b : a divine sentence or decision; specifically : a calamity held to be sent by God

a : the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing

b : an opinion or estimate so formed

a : the capacity for judging : discernment

b : the exercise of this capacity

: a proposition stating something believed or asserted

See judgment defined for English-language learners

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Variants of JUDGMENT

judg·ment or judge·ment \ˈjəj-mənt\

First Known Use of JUDGMENT

13th century

Related to JUDGMENT

Synonyms: doom, finding, holding, sentence (or judgement), ruling

Synonym Discussion of JUDGMENT

sense, common sense, judgment, wisdom mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions. sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence <a choice showing good sense>. common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge <common sense tells me it's wrong>. judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity <they relied on her judgment for guidance>. wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average <a leader of rare wisdom>.

JUDGEMENT Defined for Kids