variants
or judgement
1
a
: the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing
careful judgment of the odds
b
: an opinion or estimate so formed
is not worth doing in my judgment
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
b(1)
: an obligation (such as a debt) created by the decree of a court
(2)
: a certificate evidencing such a decree
5
a
capitalized
: 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.
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
This means capturing and protecting an organization’s collective intelligence — not just data, but the decisions, judgment, intuition, and know-how that usually live in people’s heads.
—
Swami Chandrasekaran, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati mayoral candidate Cory Bowman was hit with 10 judgments for past due sales taxes on his coffee shop.
—Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
The Clown rapidly throws all types of ideas against the wall, not caring about the audience, their judgment, or even basic feasibility.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
With the additional layers of cultural stigma, judgment, and limited access to quality care, the challenges multiply.
—Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for judgment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Swami Chandrasekaran, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati mayoral candidate Cory Bowman was hit with 10 judgments for past due sales taxes on his coffee shop.
—Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025
The Clown rapidly throws all types of ideas against the wall, not caring about the audience, their judgment, or even basic feasibility.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
With the additional layers of cultural stigma, judgment, and limited access to quality care, the challenges multiply.
—Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for judgment
Cite this Entry
“Judgment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judgment. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
judgment
noun
judg·ment
variants
or judgement
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
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
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
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
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