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

Examples 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
All decisions of the judges regarding this Promotion are final and binding in all respects. Vogue Club, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024 Braun, who was elected governor of Indiana earlier this month, missed confirmation votes in Washington, D.C. on four U.S. District court judges that were confirmed this week, according to U.S. Senate voting records. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
International observers might not even be able to judge how catastrophic such a strike had been, because Russian reporting on nuclear incidents historically cannot be trusted. William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024 The categories judged comprised American Pre-war, American Post-war, British Automobiles: Pre-1985, German Automobile: Pre-1985, Italian Automobiles: Pre-1990, European: Pre-1950, and Ford Mustang: 60th Anniversary. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for judge 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • While coach Dan Hurley – livid with a blocking foul called against Liam McNeeley – made his typical sideline scene and let the referee hear it, the technical was assessed elsewhere.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The referees ultimately put one second back on the clock, giving BYU possession and requiring the goal posts to go back up.
    Doug Haller, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The intrigue: As the saga has played out in the headlines and the court of public opinion, MetroHealth used Boutros' repayment of the $1.9 million, plus interest, as evidence of his wrongdoing.
    Sam Allard, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Third-party candidates played a minimal role in the Detroit vote: Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate who tried to court voters disillusioned with the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza, received just under 2,000 votes.
    Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In its final vote Friday, the board decided in an 8-7 vote to approve the curriculum.
    Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024
  • So many artists over the years have vied to channel their interpretation of Pac’s legacy in back-against-the-wall beef moments, but Kendrick decided to embody him by just being a hell of a rapper.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates there were more than 725,000 Indians living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans.
    Ryan J. Foley, Twin Cities, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates the tariffs could raise only about $225 billion a year.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The arrangement is understood to be part of a longer-term commitment that the anchor and CBS News have made to one another.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Looking ahead to the future of integrating art and commerce, Cao Hailun emphasized the importance of understanding art and culture.
    WWD, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Kempton was basically a liberal, but WFB loved to publish him in National Review — which rubbed some people the wrong way: people who thought of NR as more of a political enterprise than a magazine.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 27 Nov. 2024
  • She was thought to be in the Green Canyon Way Trail area of Welches in Oregon, according to the sheriff's department.
    Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • So in 1929, the president of the National League required umpires to start soiling balls for better grip, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
    Evan Bush, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Robinson slid into the plate as Berra made the tag, but umpire Bill Summers called Robinson safe, Berra immediately turning around to give Summers an earful.
    Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Homan, 63, decided on a career in law enforcement as a boy in West Carthage, New York, watching his father work as a magistrate in the small farming town.
    Elliot Spagat, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024
  • At the government’s request, a federal magistrate has detained him without bond until that hearing.
    Karina Tsui, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near judge

Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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