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
Also over the weekend, a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the administration's plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard to Portland, though troops have arrived in Oregon from California. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025 Red Mass is a Catholic Mass that celebrates the start of the judicial year and offers prayers for wisdom, counsel, and fortitude for judges, lawyers and public officials. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
Then, the rest of the women participated in a cheerleading competition judged by celebrity guest Paula Abdul with help from the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Naturally, these assumptions will sneak into dating, turning age into a flawed way to judge compatibility, and possibly ruling out a whole swath of prospects. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • The referees put themselves in a spotlight with a few tough calls, but the Chiefs put themselves squarely in it, too.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The chaotic matchup saw referees call 65 penalties for 312 minutes, including 13 game misconducts.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The role of the courts is to decide if the President is acting within the limits set by the Constitution and the law, says Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Federer, for instance, became a billionaire earlier this year despite earning just over $130 million in prize money from more than two decades on the court.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Others believed Los Angeles should have put the deciding play in quarterback Matthew Stafford's hands.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • When seeking to prosecute someone, a state attorney can file charges against them or choose to present evidence before a grand jury, composed of citizens who then must decide whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment and move to a trial.
    Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Dillon Maroney, Tarrant County Precinct 4 executive administrator of operations, estimated that Segment 1 will be ready to break ground in March 2026.
    Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Laughter from the crowd breaks the tension of what could have been understood as metaphor for Netanyahu’s actions.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Plenty of Nashvillians can probably understand the Maxwell House coffee brand’s recent marketing move.
    Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The hairs on the back of the neck still stand up now when thinking of the post-match celebrations after David Seaman’s penalty save dumped out Spain in the quarter-finals.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Because nothing lifts your spirits like discovering somebody on the other side of the world who thinks like you — or, even better, sees things in an entirely different way.
    The Dial, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As Varland bounced off the mound, fans behind the plate mimicked the umpire’s strikeout call.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • However, as the umpires left Wrigley Field on the first-base side — through the Padres' dugout — several members of San Diego had to be held back after going crazy on the men in black.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The felony charge was quickly dismissed, but the magistrate who made that decision was overruled by Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Stacey DeGraffenreid.
    Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Hernandez Santana is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon before a federal magistrate in Sacramento federal court.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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