judgement
judgement — noun
1. The ability to think carefully about situations and make wise decisions, based o
The ability to think carefully about situations and make wise decisions, based on experience and good sense.
Élise showed excellent judgement when she chose to study engineering instead of art.
excellent / sound / poor + judgement (adjective collocations)
The board questioned the manager's business judgement after the company lost two major clients.
trust / question / rely on + somebody's judgement
Sirin's parents trust her judgement because she always thinks things through carefully.
Climbing that dangerous path without proper gear showed a serious lack of judgement.
- discretion
more formal; often used in legal or professional contexts about acting wisely
- discernment
focuses on the ability to perceive subtle differences and quality
- sense
more informal; 'common sense' implies practical, everyday wisdom
- foolishness
the opposite of using good judgement
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable and describes a personal quality or faculty. Adjectives like 'sound', 'good', 'poor', 'excellent' are commonly used with it. Do not use the indefinite article 'a' with this sense.
常見錯誤
2. A view or conclusion you arrive at after weighing the facts, plus the process of
A view or conclusion you arrive at after weighing the facts, plus the process of communicating that view to other people.
Imani formed her own judgement about the new policy after reading the full report.
form a judgement about something
The newspaper published a harsh judgement on the government's handling of the crisis.
judgement on something
Christopher reserved his judgement until he had heard both sides of the argument.
It is too early to make a judgement about whether the project will succeed.
- opinion
more general; does not imply as much careful thought as judgement
- assessment
more systematic; often used in professional or academic contexts
- evaluation
focuses on measuring value or quality against a standard
文法句型
judgement about something
judgement on something
make a judgement about something
用法筆記
Commonly used with the verbs 'form', 'make', 'reserve', 'pass', and 'reach'. Unlike sense 1 (the ability), this sense can be countable: 'I have a judgement to make.' The preposition 'about' and 'on' both appear, with 'on' often implying a more critical or formal evaluation.
常見錯誤
3. Used as part of a fixed phrase to express that a statement is based on someone's
Used as part of a fixed phrase to express that a statement is based on someone's personal opinion or way of thinking.
In Ramón's judgement, the team should focus on quality rather than speed.
in + possessive + judgement (fixed phrase)
In my judgement, the proposal is too risky to implement at this stage.
The plan, in her judgement, needed more work before reaching the board.
In the expert's judgement, the painting was a genuine work from the 1700s.
- in my opinion
more common and neutral; judgement sounds slightly more thoughtful or authoritative
- in my view
similar function; judgement implies the opinion was carefully considered
文法句型
in somebody's judgement
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in [possessive] judgement' (e.g. 'in my judgement', 'in his judgement', 'in the expert's judgement'). It functions as a sentence adverb, similar to 'in my opinion'. The phrase can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
常見錯誤
4. An official decision made by a judge or a court of law at the end of a legal cas
An official decision made by a judge or a court of law at the end of a legal case.
The judge is expected to deliver her judgement on the fraud case next Monday.
deliver / give / issue a judgement (court context)
The Supreme Court's judgement set a new legal standard for privacy rights.
An appeal was filed against the judgement, arguing that the evidence had been mishandled.
The defendant wept when the judge read out the judgement finding him not guilty.
用法筆記
In legal English, the American spelling 'judgment' is standard even in British-influenced courts. This sense takes verbs like 'deliver', 'give', 'issue', 'hand down', 'enter', and 'appeal against'. A judgement is the court's final ruling; a 'verdict' is the jury's finding of guilt or innocence.
常見錯誤
5. A misfortune or disaster viewed as divine retribution for immoral behaviour, wro
A misfortune or disaster viewed as divine retribution for immoral behaviour, wrongdoing, or sin.
The ancient text describes the flood as a judgement on the people for their sins.
judgement + on + somebody (divine punishment pattern)
Some villagers viewed the crop failure as a judgement from heaven against the community.
In the story, the plague was a judgement from God against the king's cruelty.
The religious leader said the drought was a judgement on the kingdom for abandoning its faith.
- retribution
formal; punishment for wrongdoing, not necessarily from God
- divine punishment
more explicit about the divine source; longer phrase
文法句型
judgement (on somebody)
用法筆記
Typically used in religious or literary contexts. Often appears in the phrase 'a judgement on [somebody]' meaning punishment for their actions. 'The Day of Judgement' refers to the end of the world in some religions when God judges all people.