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
Last-minute rulemaking draws Republican opposition Biden's team is not just trying to protect its signature laws and confirming federal judges. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024 In a June ruling, a federal judge refused to dismiss the case, delivering a legal victory to Trump. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
The current selloff, the sixth such decline, leaves the stock at a level of support where rebound potential is judged to be high. Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024 The team whittled the entries down to a selection of 45, which were then put to a judging panel that selected the overall winner as well as nine category winners. Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for judge 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • The Federal Trade Commission’s charge was to function as a kind of referee, allowing businesses to compete, succeed, and fail but all within the broad guidelines of fairness.
    Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
  • He was promoted to referee in 1989, following the retirement of long-time official Fred Silva.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • In some cases, courts recognize foreign law as pivotal to properly resolving a U.S. tax issue.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D., Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Charges in the Wisconsin fake elector case have advanced after the first court hearing.
    JR Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Following Wrinkles, Indiana took a 15-year hiatus from executions until Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb decided this year to resume them.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
  • In these roles, PBMs decide what pharmacists and pharmacies are paid to dispense prescription medications.
    Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • During a news conference Tuesday evening, L.A. County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone reported that an initial aerial survey estimates seven structures have been destroyed and eight others damaged.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
  • With the recent Wall Street market surge, Federal Reserve estimates from May show $43 trillion in non-real estate, investable wealth is held by married couples, and because women typically outlive their husbands (because of longer lifespans), women may inherit much of that.
    Ben Kunz, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Further clinical trials are needed to better understand and assess the potential mechanisms at work.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2024
  • For occasional or seasonal consumption or lower levels of contamination, more research is needed to understand how lead in spices would affect lead levels in the blood.
    Katarzyna Kordas, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Luis Robert Jr is the dream, but who knows what the Sox are thinking.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Cheryl Burke is going to let Joey Graziadei finish, but thinks another Dancing With the Stars season 33 finalist had one of the best series runs of all time.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Betts clearly wasn’t happy as the umpire signaled for the out while security also made their way over.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Our umpires will even get involved and point out things to the kids.
    Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press, 29 Sep. 2024
Noun
  • Arnault was interrogated by investigating magistrates but neither he nor LVMH were ever put on trial.
    AFP, Fortune Europe, 28 Nov. 2024
  • Subramanian is the fourth judge to deny Combs bail after a federal magistrate, the prior district court judge assigned to the case and an appeals court judge.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near judge

Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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