I. ˈjəj, dial ˈjej verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English juggen, from Old French jugier, from Latin judicare, from judic-, judex judex, judge
transitive verb
1. : to form an authoritative opinion about : decide on the merits of
a wall must be judged by the way it is built — Paul Potts
humanity judged these authors … and found them worthy of enduring fame — Van Wyck Brooks
2. : to hear and determine (as a litigated question) or decide in the case of (as a person) in or as if in a court of justice : sit in judgment upon : try
the power of the court to judge cases in interstate commerce
judged and condemned to death for killing his mother — John Milton
He shall come to judge the quick and the dead — Book of Com. Prayer
3. obsolete : condemn 3a
some whose offenses are pilfering … they judge to be whipped — Francis Bacon
4. : to determine or pronounce after inquiry and deliberation : consider
recommend … such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient — U.S.Constitution
youngsters judged delinquent — Dorothy Barclay
5. : to exercise paramount civil and military authority over : govern , rule — used of a Hebrew tribal leader in biblical times
and he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years — Judg 15:20 (Revised Standard Version)
6. : to form an estimate or appraisal of
he could judge pace to a nicety — Irish Digest
we judge the distance from remembered comparisons — Weston La Barre
7. : to hold as an opinion : think
I judge she was right — B.A.Williams
intransitive verb
1. : to form an opinion: as
a. : to estimate especially on the basis of a comparison of facts or ideas
as near as I could judge , we were not twenty yards from the rocks — Frederick Marryat
b. : to form a conclusion from evidence
when the mind assents to a proposition it judges — J.S.Mill
c. : to form a critical evaluation — often used with of
it is hard to judge of the general style of the painting from such small portions — O. Elfrida Saunders
2. : to hear and determine (as in causes on trial) : decide as a judge : pronounce judgment
may the Lord judge between you and me — Gen 16:5 (Revised Standard Version)
Synonyms: see infer
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English juge, from Middle French, from Latin judic-, judex, judex, judge, from ju- (from jus right, law) + -dic-, -dex (from dicere to determine, say) — more at just , diction
: one that judges:
a.
(1) : a public official invested with authority to hear and determine litigated questions ; especially : the presiding magistrate in a court of justice usually so named in his commission
the judge declares the law, the jury finds the facts — Edward Jenks
European judges are members of a hierarchically organized bureaucracy — C.J.Friedrich
(2) : a person who performs one or more functions of such an official (as a justice of the peace or referee) or of any judicial officer — sometimes used as an honorific or courtesy title without much significance
American law early … dignified every magistrate by calling him judge — H.S.Commager
b. capitalized : god , christ
the coming of the Lord is at hand … behold, the Judge is standing at the doors — Jas 5: 8-9 (Revised Standard Version)
c. often capitalized : a tribal hero exercising paramount civil and military authority over the Hebrews in the biblical period of more than 400 years following the death of Joshua
the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of those who plundered them — Judg 2:16 (Revised Standard Version)
d. : one appointed to decide in a contest or competition (as a trial of skill or speed between two or more parties) : umpire
the Judge … must occupy the judges' box at the time the horses pass the winning post — Dan Parker
on election day the judge helps decide disputes at the polls
e. : one that decides or determines any question, point at issue, or controversy : one that gives an authoritative opinion
each house shall be the judge of the … qualifications of its own members — U.S.Constitution
the board shall be the judge of what constitutes unprofessional conduct — G.B.Cummings
the best judge of what his book was about — Ellen Glasgow
f. : one that has sufficient knowledge or experience to decide on the merits of or to form an authoritative opinion about something (as a question or a work of art) : connoisseur , critic
was an extraordinary judge of character — C.F.Smith
a good judge of poetry — John Dryden