# judge

/ˈdʒədʒ/ (US) · /dʒˈʌdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/judge
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. legal official

noun · CEFR B1

a public official who hears cases in a court and decides how the law should be applied.

For teachers: a public officer appointed to preside over a court of law and administer justice.

- The judge listened carefully to both sides before making a final decision.
- The presiding judge issued a stern warning to the gallery, insisting that any further outbursts would result in a contempt of court charge.

### 2. competition official

noun · CEFR B1

a person who decides the winner of a contest or competition.

For teachers: an individual appointed to evaluate performances and determine rankings or winners in a competition.

- The judges gave the gymnast a high score for her difficult routine.
- A panel of three independent judges evaluated the architectural proposals based on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and aesthetic integration.

### 3. to form an opinion

verb · CEFR B1

to form an opinion about someone or something after thinking about the facts.

For teachers: to form an opinion or estimation of something after careful consideration or based on available evidence.

- You should not judge a book by its cover.
- It is difficult to judge the success of the new policy until we have at least six months of data to review.

### 4. to criticize

verb · CEFR B2

to have a negative opinion of someone's behavior or choices.

For teachers: to form or express a critical or censorious opinion of someone.

- She felt that her neighbors were judging her for the way she dressed.
- Social media users were quick to judge the celebrity's parenting choices without knowing the full context of the situation.

### 5. to decide a winner

verb · CEFR B1

to act as a judge in a competition.

For teachers: to officiate or act as an adjudicator in a contest or competition.

- He was invited to judge the local baking contest this year.
- The retired professor was asked to judge the national debating championships due to his extensive experience in formal rhetoric.

## Examples

- The judge listens to both sides of the story.
- After hearing all the evidence, the judge decided that the company must pay a fine for the damage.
- The presiding judge maintained a neutral expression throughout the witness's testimony, ensuring that the legal proceedings remained focused on the admissible evidence rather than emotional appeals.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.