judge 1 of 2

1
as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy their father always played the role of judge when there was a disagreement between the siblings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in court
a public official having authority to decide questions of law the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

judge

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to estimate
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement considering the amount of dough we have, I judge we'll get about six dozen cookies out of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word judge distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of judge are conclude, deduce, gather, and infer. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

When could conclude be used to replace judge?

The words conclude and judge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

How do deduce and infer relate to one another, in the sense of judge?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

When is it sensible to use gather instead of judge?

In some situations, the words gather and judge are roughly equivalent. However, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

When can infer be used instead of judge?

While the synonyms infer and judge are close in meaning, infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of judge
Noun
The judge declared the current subpoena invalid but gave Kohberger's lawyers a chance to amend it. Michael Ruiz , Kailey Schuyler, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025 During a federal hearing in New York, a witness told the judge more than four dozen women who prosecutors consider credible have come forward with allegations about the brothers. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
Verb
The 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards received more than 2200 submissions from the calendar year of 2024, and nominations were judged by a pool of more than 980 people from across the television and streaming/digital media news and documentary community. Michael Schneider, Variety, 27 June 2025 Getz is almost two years into his rebuild, which is way too early to judge it a success or failure. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • Sometimes, referees failed to call a foul, sparking fan outrage.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2025
  • New for some refs, too The NBA doesn’t announce referee assignments until game day, so it won’t be known until Sunday morning who the three-person crew is for Game 7.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign argued that the court did not have the power to second guess the president's authority to invoke the act.
    Armando Garcia, ABC News, 30 June 2025
  • Brown and his two brothers, then 17 and 18, were walking home on May 20, 2024 when two gunmen opened fire on them, court documents state.
    Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • After a marathon session, the Senate narrowly passed their version of the legislation with Vice President Vance having to cast the deciding vote.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • What happens next: The 12-member jury will deliberate until a verdict is decided.
    Olivia Munson, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • If that sounds impossible, AAA estimates that the worst time to hit the road is between noon and 5 p.m., so an evening drive could be in your future.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
  • Prosecutors, however, estimated the loss to businesses and homeowners at about $35 million.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • To better understand the missing middle, Paulsen was part of a research team that examined rock samples from the Polar Rock Depository at The Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2025
  • Some things are beyond the capacity of a child to understand, while others resonate most profoundly out of the mouths of babes.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Ya’ll in ya’ll feelings, ya’ll think ya’ll know everything.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 25 June 2025
  • Every post should include one moment that makes someone stop scrolling and think about their situation differently, ideally in the hook.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • The Mets challenged the catch, and an umpire review upheld it.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025
  • His uncle was taken to a meeting office for umpires, where his shirt was removed to cool him down, Delonta said.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • The bombs did not distinguish between evil magistrates and political prisoners, or the 18- to 20-year-old conscripts tasked with escorting them.
    Siamak Namazi, Time, 25 June 2025
  • Meer Deen, a union representative, testified during a May 14 magistrate hearing with union and city attorneys, according to a court transcript.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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