judgment

noun

judg·​ment ˈjəj-mənt 

variants or judgement

1

a

: the act or process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing

careful judgment of the odds

It's too soon to pass judgment on the effectiveness of the new program.

b

: an opinion or decision that is based on careful thought

is not worth doing in my judgment

We have to make a judgment about the value of their services.

2

a

: the capacity for judging : discernment

be guided by your own judgment

showing poor judgment

b

: the exercise of this capacity

a situation requiring careful judgment

3

a

: a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion

b

: an opinion so pronounced

4

a

: a formal decision given by a court

The plaintiffs won a judgment against the bank.

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the lower court.

The trial judge … found him guilty. … The petitioner's motion to set aside the judgment … was denied.

—Jackson v. Virginia, 443 US 307 (1979)

see also summary judgment

b(1)

: an obligation (such as a debt) created by the decree of a court

Though some of the property was seized and auctioned, most of the judgment hadn't been paid.

—Hilary Lewis

(2)

: a certificate evidencing such a decree

5

a

usually Judgment or Judgement Christianity : the final judging of humankind by God

sinners awaiting Judgment

b

: a divine sentence or decision

specifically : a calamity held to be sent by God

believed their bad luck to be a judgment upon them

6

: a proposition stating something believed or asserted

Did you know?

Judgment can also be spelled judgement, and usage experts have long disagreed over which spelling is the preferred one. Henry Fowler asserted that "the OED [Oxford English Dictionary] prefers the older & more reasonable spelling. Judgement is therefore here recommended…." William Safire held an opposite opinion, writing, "My judgment is that Fowler is not to be followed on his spelling of judgement." Judgement is in fact the older spelling, but it dropped from favor and for centuries judgment was the only spelling to appear in dictionaries. That changed when the OED (Fowler's source) was published showing judgement as an equal variant. Today, judgment is more popular in the U.S., whereas both spellings make a good showing in Britain.

Synonyms of judgment

• ruling
• sentence
• verdict

Choose the Right Synonym for judgment

sense, common sense, judgment, wisdom mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions.

sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.

a choice showing good sense

common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge.

common sense tells me it's wrong

judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity.

they relied on her judgment for guidance

wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average.

a leader of rare wisdom

Examples of judgment in a Sentence

We have to make a judgment about the value of their services.

The judgment of the editors is final.

Don't rush to judgment without examining the evidence.

“Were his policies good or bad?” “I'll have to reserve judgment on that. It's too soon to know.”

Use your own best judgment.

The court granted a judgment in favor of the plaintiffs.

the judgment of the court

I won a judgment against the bank.

Recent Examples on the Web

Giancarlo Morelli, 39, will serve 48 months in a New Jersey federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to a copy of the criminal judgment obtained by PEOPLE. —Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Despite her better judgment, Sarah pops the tape into the VCR, and we’re introduced to a triptych of stories featuring Art the Clown. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025

Baldoni retains his right to appeal the defamation case judgment to a higher court once a decision is rendered on Lively’s right to recoup fees. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025

It is also understood that the King took action in light of his sibling’s serious lapses of judgment and has the support of the wider family, including Prince William. —Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jugement, borrowed from Anglo-French, from juger "to judge entry 2" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing judgment

• against one's better judgment
• cloud someone's judgment
• error in judgment
• judgment call
• judgment day
• pass judgment on
• reserve judgment
• sit in judgment
• snap judgment
• summary judgment
• value judgment

Rhymes for judgment

• judgement
• misjudgment
• prejudgment

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Kids Definition

judgment

noun

judg·​ment

variants or judgement

ˈjəj-mənt 

1

: the act of judging

2

: a decision given by a court

3

a

: the process of forming an opinion by examining and comparing

b

: an opinion so formed

4

: the ability to judge : discernment

Legal Definition

judgment

noun

judg·​ment

variants also judgement

ˈjəj-mənt 

1

a

: a formal decision or determination on a matter or case by a court

especially : final judgment in this entry compare dictum, disposition, finding, holding, opinion, ruling, verdict

Note: Under Rule 54 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure judgment encompasses a decree and any order from which an appeal lies.

— cognovit judgment \ käg-​ˈnō-​vit-​ \

: an acknowledgment by a debtor of the existence of a debt with agreement that an adverse judgment may be entered without notice or a hearing : confession of judgment

— consent judgment

: a judgment approved and entered by a court by consent of the parties upon agreement or stipulation : consent decree at decree

— declaratory judgment

: a judgment declaring a right or establishing the legal status or interpretation of a law or instrument

a declaratory judgment that the law is unconstitutional

compare damage sense 2, injunction, specific performance at performance

— default judgment

: a judgment entered by a court after an entry of default against a party for failure to appear, to file a pleading, or to take other required procedural steps

called also judgment by default

compare decree pro confesso at decree

— deficiency judgment

: a judgment in favor of a creditor for the balance of a debt that is not satisfied in full by the security

especially : such a judgment following a mortgage foreclosure

— final judgment

: a judgment that leaves nothing further to be done on a matter except execution

— in personam judgment

: personal judgment in this entry

— in rem judgment

: judgment in rem in this entry

— judgment as a matter of law

: a judgment rendered against a party on an issue at any time before the case is submitted to the jury on the ground that there is no legally sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to find for the party on that issue

— judgment by default

: default judgment in this entry

— judgment in personam plural judgments in personam

: personal judgment in this entry

— judgment in rem \ -​in-​ˈrem \ plural judgments in rem

: a judgment affecting the status of a particular thing (as an item of property) or subject matter : a judgment rendered by a court exercising in rem jurisdiction compare personal judgment in this entry

— judgment nisi plural judgments nisi

: a judgment that is not final or absolute

after default and judgment nisi requiring them to show cause why it should not be made final

—Code of Alabama

— judgment non obstante veredicto \ -​ˈnän-​əb-​ˈstan-​tē-​ˌver-​ə-​ˈdik-​tō, -​ˈnȯn-​ȯb-​ˈstän-​tā-​ˌvā-​rā-​ˈdēk-​tō \ plural judgments non obstante veredicto non obstante veredicto, from Medieval Latin, notwithstanding the verdict

: judgment notwithstanding the verdict in this entry

— judgment notwithstanding the verdict

: a judgment that may be granted upon a motion by a defendant whose motion for a directed verdict was denied and that sets aside the jury's verdict in favor of a judgment in accordance with the motion for directed verdict

called also judgment non obstante veredicto

Note: Judgment notwithstanding the verdict has been replaced by judgment as a matter of law in federal practice.

— judgment of acquittal

: a judgment that is rendered upon motion of the defendant or the court's own motion at the close of the evidence and that acquits the defendant of one or more of the offenses charged when the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction

called also directed verdict, directed verdict of acquittal

— judgment on the merits

: a judgment made after consideration of the substantive as distinguished from procedural issues in a case

— judgment on the pleadings

: summary judgment in this entry

— money judgment

: a judgment directing the payment of a sum of money

— nihil-dicit judgment

: a judgment entered against a defendant who has failed to make an effective answer (as because the answer is withdrawn or does not respond to the merits of the plaintiff's case)

called also nil dicit judgment

— personal judgment

: a judgment determining the rights and liabilities of a particular person : a judgment rendered by a court exercising personal jurisdiction over a person compare judgment in rem in this entry

— summary judgment

: judgment that may be granted upon a party's motion when the pleadings, discovery, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the party is entitled to judgment in its favor as a matter of law

Note: Under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, summary judgment may be granted on all or on just part of a case.

b

: an obligation (as a debt) created by a decree of a court

collection of…automobile judgments from uninsured motorists

—Harvard Law Review

also : an official document embodying such a decision or decree

c

: a declaration by a court of the conviction of a criminal defendant and the punishment to be imposed

specifically : sentence

2

: the action of judging : the mental or intellectual process of forming an opinion or making a decision

also : an opinion or decision so formed

— business judgment

: a decision by a person or body (as a board of directors) having authority to act on behalf of a business and usually marked by reasonableness and the exercise of due care

also : the ability to make such decisions

— substituted judgment

: a decision regarding medical treatment made by a person (as a family member) on behalf of a person who is incompetent and unable to decide for himself or herself