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

Example 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
During her first court appearance Saturday morning, a judge denied her bond. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025 Liberal and conservative judges have ruled the administration broke the law in the deportation of Abrego Garcia. Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
The French approach the subject differently, at least to judge by the recent output of books translated into English and released to critical acclaim. Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025 Why do some people ruminate after social events? Broadly speaking, people living with social anxiety possess a fear of being judged by others negatively and of being embarrassed in social situations, say Steele and Di Bartolomeo. Seraphina Seow, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • Sean Woodson via third-round TKO Ige did a great job getting Woodson in trouble, but the referee stoppage will be debated all week.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Edwards took exception to a foul call by referee Ray Acosta, who quickly issued a technical foul.
    Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Combs' attorneys made the original request in a motion filed April 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Panelists joined Washington Week With The Atlantic last night to discuss the administration’s stance on the courts, universities, government agencies, and more.
    The Editors, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • With the 26th pick, the Rams decide to bolster their offense by adding the best available running back.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • In this scenario, the Broncos get antsy with Tyler Warren still on the board and decide to move ahead of the Indianapolis Colts.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The finance department estimated that the 1% salary increase would cost the state $120 million.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Singh and her collaborators estimated that improvements to modifiable risk factors could prevent or slow at least 60 percent of strokes, 40 percent of dementia cases, and 35 percent of late-life depression cases.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At some point 3 to 4 billion years ago, Mars lost its atmosphere for reasons not yet fully understood, and with it, the temperate conditions that allowed liquid water to exist on its surface.
    Jonathan O’Callaghan, JSTOR Daily, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In Congress, Trump’s Tariff Pullback Sparks Relief, Frustration, and Suspicion At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt scolded reporters for not understanding the president’s plans.
    Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Now a few researchers think a form of two-way communication with dolphins could be on the horizon.
    Melissa Hobson, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Rather than designs being printed by ink, all options are made by gel following the same standard process of any pro manicure (think: base coat, color gel polish, design, top coat).
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Twins manager tossed Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected from the game in the bottom of the sixth after arguing a pitch-clock violation call by home plate umpire.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The umpires called back-to-back balks on Gillaspie for stopping during his windup.
    Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The first three groups of 73 migrants transferred there in October, November and January spent only a few hours in Albania and were returned to Italy after Italian magistrates refused to validate their detention in the non-EU country.
    Erion Xhabafti, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • That same day, the agency obtained a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint from a U.S. magistrate judge and transferred her to the U.S. Marshals Service.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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