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 But in urban battles, commanders often take fire from structures housing both fighters and families, forcing a judgment call: clear the rooms with troops, putting them at risk, or call in a heavier response that might kill civilians. Damien Cave, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023 The new interpretation of the First Amendment explained in this line of rulings – giving the benefit of the doubt to religious believers whenever there is a judgment call – dramatically increases the protections for religious citizens. Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2023 Of the four, the Daniels payoff, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is generally considered the most tenuous, from a legal standpoint; bringing these charges was arguably a judgment call. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 11 Sep. 2023 The officials will never make a judgment call on feigning injuries. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023 According to the remarks Amazon shared with CNN, Jassy responded by saying that the return-to-office policy was more the result of a judgment call based on an assessment of various factors including business results. Brian Fung, CNN, 29 Aug. 2023 Christy Kaufman, vice president of risk management and insurance services for real-estate marketplace Zillow Group said reporting emerging risks to the board is a judgment call because risk leaders likely lack metrics and tolerance levels. Rob Sloan, WSJ, 15 May 2023 In the Maryland case, experts say, without Hogan, who was the project’s champion, and with Moore unenthusiastic about the project, Transurban had to make a judgment call that the deal was unlikely to reach completion. Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023 The judgment call to release the third movie depended on the success of the second movie, which seems to show there is still plenty of interest in the world of the Na’vi and Pandora. Time, 23 Jan. 2023 See More

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 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

judgment call

noun
: a subjective decision, ruling, or opinion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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