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

Nurses spend their mornings on patients who genuinely need a human judgment call, not reverifying a list the system already got right. — Abhinav Shashank, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

The right choice depends on the shape of the borrower’s revenue, which is exactly the kind of judgment call that separates this kind of underwriting from a software rejection. — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Forcing fans to cover XX-XY shirts wasn't merely a questionable judgment call. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

According to a tournament spokesperson, there is no hard rule — the decision to close the roof is a judgment call made on a case-by-case basis, with the guiding principle maximizing the amount of outdoor tennis played. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for judgment call

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol

Kids Definition

judgment call

noun

: a subjective decision, ruling, or opinion