judge

JUJ/d͡ʒʌd͡ʒ/

Pluraljudges

Verbjudges, judging, judged

13 meanings of judge

Practice

1
court officialnouncountable
A public official who administers the law, especially by presiding over trials and delivering judgments.
The judge instructed the jury to disregard the witness's last remark.
In the United States, federal appeals court judges are appointed by the president with Senate approval rather than elected.
Similarjustice, magistrate
Note
Bacon's essay Of Judicature lists a judge's tasks: directing the evidence, curbing long or irrelevant speech, summing up, and giving the ruling. On a supreme or highest court the same officer is often styled a justice.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Bacon lists directing evidence, moderating speech, summarizing material points, and delivering the ruling as judicial tasks. en.wikisource.org
Supreme-court judges are often styled justices. en.wikipedia.org
2
rateverbtransitive
To form an opinion about something or someone after careful consideration; to appraise.
Critics judged the film harshly for its weak script.
We'll test-drive both cars this weekend and judge them on comfort and handling.
UsageYou judge something on or by a quality, as in judged on clarity.
Similarassess, evaluate, appraise, gauge
3
in a contestnouncountable
A person who oversees a contest or sporting event and rules on its outcome.
The judge disqualified the swimmer for a false start.
Olympic judges deduct points for technical errors in each routine.
Similarreferee, umpire, adjudicator
4
think badly ofverbtransitive or intransitive
To criticize or form a negative opinion of another person; to be judgmental toward someone.
She felt everyone was judging her the moment she walked in.
He tends to judge people before getting to know them.
UsageCommon in don't judge me and stop judging; by introduces the basis for judgment: judge people by their looks.
Similarcriticize, condemn
Note
The everyday, disapproving verb: to judge someone is to condemn them before knowing them. By names the shallow standard, as in Aerosmith's 1993 line about judging a wise man by the color of his skin. Contrast the neutral "appraise" sense, which need not be unkind.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Aerosmith's lyric about judging a wise man by skin color appears in “Livin' on the Edge.” aerosmith.com
The Aerosmith song was released in 1993. en.wikipedia.org
5
reckonverbtransitive or intransitive
To conclude or consider that something is the case, based on reasoning or the available evidence.
Judging by the silence, the meeting had already ended.
As best I can judge, the repairs will take about a week.
UsageOften judging by or judging from a clue; as far as I can judge is a common hedge.
Similartell, gauge, estimate, reckon, conclude
Note
In Mark Twain's 1884 Huck Finn, Huck wakes late and judged it was after eight o'clock.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
Mark Twain wrote the novel referred to as Huck Finn. gutenberg.org
The novel was first published in 1884. exhibitions.library.vanderbilt.edu
Huck wakes late and narrates that he judged it was after eight o'clock. gutenberg.org
6
one who evaluatesnouncountable
A person who evaluates something or forms an opinion about its quality or worth.
He is a shrewd judge of talent in young athletes.
Wine judges sample dozens of bottles in a single afternoon.
UsageUsually an adjective, then judge, then of: a good judge of character, no judge of art.
Similarcritic, assessor, evaluator, connoisseur
7
final saynouncountable
A person with the authority to decide the fate of someone or something in dispute.
Under the treaty, an international panel will act as judge in any dispute over the border.
In the old village, the chief was the only judge of who could farm which fields.
Similararbiter
8
try a caseverbtransitive
To act as a judge in a court or dispute: to hear a case, rule on it, and pass judgment or sentence.
Higher courts may judge constitutional questions that lower courts cannot.
The magistrate judged the matter and issued a binding order.
Similartry, hear, adjudicate, decide

Less common meanings

9
Israelite leadernounhistoricalcountable
A temporary leader raised up to govern the ancient Israelites in times of crisis.
Gideon became a judge who led his tribes against invading raiders.
Samson is remembered as a judge whose strength delivered his people.
Note
A word from Bible translation for the Hebrew shophet. These leaders came before Israel had kings, and their authority was personal and temporary rather than inherited. Gideon and Samson are the familiar names. They led in war as well as settling disputes, so the English word suggests a narrower, more courtroom role than they held. Their rule has its own verb, governing as a shophet.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 9 facts
The biblical title judge translates Hebrew shophet. en.wikipedia.org
These leaders preceded the Israelite monarchy. en.wikipedia.org
Their authority was personal and temporary. oyc.yale.edu
The judgeship was temporary rather than hereditary. oyc.yale.edu
Gideon and Samson are biblical judges. en.wikipedia.org
Judges exercised military leadership. oyc.yale.edu
Their functions included settling disputes, as illustrated by Deborah. kingjamesbibleonline.org
Their functions extended beyond judicial proceedings. oyc.yale.edu
Judge also has a verb sense meaning to govern as a shophet. en.wiktionary.org
10
rule Israelverbtransitive or intransitive
To rule or govern the ancient Israelites in the role of a shophet.
In the Book of Judges, Deborah sits under a palm tree to judge Israel.
He judged Israel for forty years before his death.
Similarrule, govern
Note
The verb behind the biblical leaders. The King James Bible of 1611 uses it with a people as object and a span of years: Jair "iudged Iſrael twentie and two yeeres," and Elon "iudged Israel ten yeeres." Judging here means ruling, not trying a case, and the length of a judgeship is counted like a reign.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 6 facts
The verb judge can mean governing in the role of a biblical judge. en.wiktionary.org
The King James Bible was published in 1611. en.wikisource.org
Judges 10:3 uses the quoted wording about Jair, with Israel as object and twenty-two years as the duration. en.wiktionary.org
Judges 12:11 uses the quoted wording about Elon, with Israel as object and ten years as the duration. kingjamesbibleonline.org
Judging in these passages means governing rather than trying an individual case. en.wikipedia.org
A judgeship's duration is expressed as a number of years of leadership. kingjamesbibleonline.org
11
verbobsoletetransitive
To condemn someone judicially; to sentence a person to punishment.
Note
The penalty follows the verb as an infinitive or a to-phrase: he was judged to die, judged to banishment. Modern English gives this work to sentence and condemn. A reader who meets judged to die in older writing should read it as a death sentence, not an assessment.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Judged to die can express a death sentence in older writing. gutenberg.org
The punishment could follow judge in a to-phrase. gutenberg.org
12
verbobsoletetransitive
To award or assign something to a party by judicial decision; to adjudge.
Note
Obsolete in its plain form, this meaning lives on in the prefixed verb adjudge. The thing awarded is the object, and the person who receives it follows to: the estate judged to the heir. Plain judge with a to-phrase will be read as an opinion rather than a grant.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Judge historically meant to award something judicially, equivalent to adjudge. en.wiktionary.org
Adjudge has the judicial-award meaning and permits the thing awarded followed by to and its recipient. gutenberg.org
13
verbobsoletetransitive
To constitute a fitting measure of something, providing a basis on which an opinion may be formed.
Noble and milde this Perſean ſeemes to be, If outward habit Iudge the inward man.
c. 1587, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part
Note
The subject here is not a person but the evidence itself. Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great has "If outward habit judge the inward man," with outward appearance serving as the measure of character. Today the idea is phrased the other way round, with a person judging by the evidence, as in the ordinary "appraise" verb.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
The grammatical subject is the evidence serving as a criterion, rather than a person. en.wiktionary.org
Christopher Marlowe wrote Tamburlaine the Great. gutenberg.org
The quoted words occur in the play; Tamburlaine speaks them. gutenberg.org

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of judge apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 6–7, 9

The noun comes from Middle English 'juge', from Old French 'juge', from Latin 'iūdex'. It displaced the native Middle English 'deme' (from Old English 'dēma').

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

The noun descends from Middle English 'juge', borrowed from Old French 'juge', ultimately from Latin 'iūdex'. en.wiktionary.org
The noun displaced native Middle English 'deme', which came from Old English 'dēma'. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2, 4–5, 8, 10–13

Latin iūdicāre passed into Old French as jugier and Anglo-Norman as juger, and Middle English borrowed it as jugen. The verb partly pushed out the native word deem, and judicate is a doublet.