judgment call

noun

: a subjective decision, ruling, or opinion

Examples of judgment call in a Sentence

The rules aren't clear in this case, so officials are required to make a judgment call.
Recent Examples on the Web This could apply to self-driving cars that do not perform as expected, or to a complex judgment call of who should get approved for a loan or medical treatment. Cathy Ross, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Choosing between different plausible interpretations is precisely the kind of judgment call that the Court of Justice so pointedly reserved to EU member states less than two years ago, or at least so everyone thought at the time. Ryan Finley, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 Often the placement of the boundary lines between species is little more than a judgment call. Rebecca Heisman, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 That’s a judgment call, of course, and just the kind that mainstream journalists were once trained to avoid. Ron Elving, NPR, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for judgment call 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'judgment call.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of judgment call was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near judgment call

Cite this Entry

“Judgment call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judgment%20call. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

judgment call

noun
: a subjective decision, ruling, or opinion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!