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
Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York wrote to the judge requesting the man be incarcerated before trial. Evan Mealins, USA Today, 25 May 2025 Before that switch, Lawton, then an attorney, applied three times to become an appellate judge. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
Verb
This week, try speaking those feelings clearly, without judging them. Colin Bedell, Them., 22 May 2025 The key issue in Barnes is how the law should judge whether an officer used excessive force. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • The problem is why the international referees were not here today.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • According to Sky Sports, Bramall has officiated 11 Premier League games this season, with 17 referees taking charge of more games.
    George Ramsay, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • She was fired without warning in July, according to court documents.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
  • Researchers have uncovered handwritten letters, court documents, and a coroner’s report related to the nearly 700-year-old cold case murder of a medieval priest.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • As mentioned above, there are myriad factors—international transportation bottlenecks, natural disasters and supplier insolvency, among others—that need to be considered simultaneously in real time to decide what’s best for the business.
    Sadagopan S, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • Those include the major questions doctrine, which says Congress needs to give clear authorization for federal agencies to decide issues of major economic significance, and the nondelegation doctrine, which holds that Congress can't delegate its legislative power to the executive branch.
    Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • But those modest provisions, frequently touted by Republicans, aren't estimated to produce any savings.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
  • Consensus estimates project earnings of $0.66 per share on revenues of $527.5 million.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Cena, who once filmed Trainwreck pretending to be a closeted bodybuilder desperate for zaftig comedian Amy Schumer’s affection, understands that the joke’s on him better than anyone.
    Oliver Bateman, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2025
  • This includes understanding existing skills, power structures, decision-making processes, and how change has been received historically.
    Andrew Mawson, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • One mother thought she was headed to Washington, D.C.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 1 June 2025
  • These studies were also really an investigation of color, thinking of the way graphic scores can work and trying to convey a mood or tone through color theory.
    Caitlin Woolsey, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • The game was delayed 18 minutes, first for the umpires to deliberate on what the proper ruling would be, then to clear the field of debris thrown from the Rogers Centre stands.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • The umpire ruled that the out at third was recorded before the run had crossed the plate, but video of the play appeared to show otherwise.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • On June 30, 1994, both Rose and Fred were brought before a magistrates’ court in Gloucester.
    Alex Gurley, People.com, 16 May 2025
  • The phrase stunned both the victim’s family and the magistrates.
    Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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