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 week a federal judge sentenced the former informant, Alexander Smirnov, to six years in prison. Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2025 As for the winning bottle, here is what the judges had to say about it: Big enticing aromas of malted cereal, sweet creamy milk chocolate and crisp red berries. Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
The films were judged by Abbas Yari, Ali Murat Erkorkmaz, Bijan Tehrani, Granaz Moussavi, Keely Badger, Marcy Garriott, Michael Franck, Matt Ferro, Susan Morgan Cooper, and Vladek Juszkiewicz. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025 Biden is left defending decisions that history will judge — has judged — harshly. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for judge 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • However, it was overturned by replay review, with referee Shawn Hochuli ruling that Likely landed with his toe on the end line.
    Michael Silver, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Fighters like Dominick Cruz seemingly hate referee intervention and would prefer to be put to sleep with a strike than to have a fight stopped.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • According to court documents, Healy was eating with friends on Sept. 29, 1990 when he was approached by two men, one of whom pulled a gun and told them all to get up.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
  • According to People, Emily and Justin Baldoni have been spending time in Hawaii with their two children as his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, continues to face off against Lively's legal team in and outside of court.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Content creators and influencers must decide what to do with the looming TikTok ban.
    Emma Cortes Ellendt, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • By April 2024, Zellner decided to file a clemency petition asking that Pritzker exonerate Calusinski or release her for time served.
    Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • By 2035 it’s estimated there will be more Americans aged 65 and over than 18 and younger.
    Letters to the editor, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance estimates that the U.S. Healthcare and Social Assistance industry loses nearly $6.2 billion per year due to serious, nonfatal workplace injuries, 34% of which are due to overexertion of handling objects and awkward postures.
    Borislav "Bobby" Marinov, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Glenn, 52, spent 15 years as a cornerback for the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints and understands the NFL grind from that perspective.
    Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Still, Republicans have said that even if that call was accurate, the C.I.A. failed in understanding other key events: how quickly the Afghan government could collapse, how Bashar al-Assad would flee Syria and how Hamas was preparing to attack Israel.
    Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • And does the new Bears coach think Poles can fix the gaps in free agency and the draft? Johnson will have much to share about his plans in the days ahead.
    Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
  • North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine thought the war was a military exercise, according to videos released by Ukraine.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • During live gameplay, however, the players — and the general contours and colors of their outfits — are animated in a Nintendo Wii-esque style, as are the court, racquets, balls, umpires, ball people and spectators.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In the closing shot, he’s seen in the near-empty upper deck, enthusiastically challenging an umpire’s call.
    Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Wiretapped conversations on those phones led prosecutors to suspect Sarkozy and Herzog of promising magistrate Gilbert Azibert a job in Monaco in exchange for leaking information about another legal case involving Sarkozy.
    Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Both properties were the subject of an eviction ruling on Nov. 6 in Hamilton County where a magistrate gave Frisch’s seven days to leave.
    Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near judge

Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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