What does "judge" mean?
A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
Judge
/d͡ʒʌd͡ʒ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
- Grammar: judge is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: justice, evaluator, account, account as.
- Useful contrasts: clerks, competitor, dismiss.
- Usage evidence: You have to judge the case without bias.
How to use "judge"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "judge" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "judge" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "judge" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "judge" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "judge" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "justice" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "judge", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
"The parts of a judge in hearing are four: to direct the evidence; to moderate length, repetition, or impertinency of speech; to recapitulate, select, and collate the material points of that which hath been said; and to give the rule or sentence."
- 2 The title of a judge.
"“I am saddened and disappointed in the way Judge Ehrlich behaved on the video. Her behavior cannot be condoned,” Tuter said."
- 3 an authority who is able to estimate worth or quality wordnet
- 4 A person who decides the fate of someone or something that has been called into question.
- 5 a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A person officiating at a sports event, a contest, or similar; referee.
"At a boxing match, the decision of the judges is final."
- 7 A person who evaluates something or forms an opinion.
"She is a good judge of wine."
- 8 A shophet, a temporary leader appointed in times of crisis in ancient Israel. historical
Verb
- 1 To sit in judgment on; to pass sentence on (a person or matter). transitive
"A higher power will judge you after you are dead."
- 2 form a critical opinion of wordnet
- 3 To sit in judgment, to act as judge. intransitive
"Justices in this country judge without appeal."
- 4 determine the result of (a competition) wordnet
- 5 To judicially rule or determine. transitive
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time) wordnet
- 7 To sentence to punishment, to judicially condemn. obsolete, transitive
"He was judged to die for his crimes."
- 8 pronounce judgment on wordnet
- 9 To award judicially; to adjudge. obsolete, transitive
- 10 put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of wordnet
- 11 To form an opinion on; to appraise. transitive
"I judge a man’s character by the cut of his suit."
- 12 To constitute a fitting appraisal or criterion of; to provide a basis for forming an opinion on. obsolete, transitive
"Noble and milde this Perſean ſeemes to be, If outward habit Iudge the inward man."
- 13 To arbitrate; to pass opinion on something, especially to settle a dispute etc. intransitive
"We cannot both be right: you must judge between us."
- 14 To have as an opinion; to consider, suppose. transitive
"I judge it safe to leave the house once again."
- 15 To form an opinion; to infer. ambitransitive
"I judge from the sky that it might rain later."
- 16 To criticize or label another person or thing; to be judgmental toward. ambitransitive
"There's something wrong with the world today; the light bulb's getting dim. There's meltdown in the sky. If you can judge a wise man by the color of his skin, Mister, you're a better man than I"
- 17 To govern as biblical judge or shophet (over some jurisdiction). ambitransitive
"And after him aroſe Iair a Gileadite, and iudged Iſrael twentie and two yeeres."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname originating as an occupation. countable, uncountable
- 2 epithet of God or Jesus in his role as supreme arbiter countable, uncountable
"Wak’d by the trumpet’s sound, I from my grave must rise, And see the Judge with glory crown’d, And see the flaming skies."
- 3 A male given name of rare usage countable, uncountable
- 4 A placename; An unincorporated community in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, named after Edward Judge. countable, uncountable
- 5 A placename; An unincorporated community in Osage County, Missouri, United States, named for a local judge who owned the town site. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You have to judge the case without bias."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "judge"?
Common synonyms include: justice, evaluator, account, account as, act between, adjudge.
How do you use "judge" in a sentence?
You have to judge the case without bias.
How do you pronounce "judge"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒʌd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English juge, jugge, from Old French juge, from Latin iūdex. Displaced native Middle English deme (from Old English dēma (“judge”)) and demere (from Old English dēmere (“judge”)), see also deemer, deemster.
Etymology 2
From Middle English jugen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman juger, from Old French jugier, from Latin iūdicāre. Doublet of judicate. Mostly displaced native deem.
Etymology 3
From judge