from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Judgment \Judg"ment\, n. [OE. jugement, F. jugement, LL.
judicamentum, fr. L. judicare. See {Judge}, v. i.]
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1. The act of judging; the operation of the mind, involving
comparison and discrimination, by which a knowledge of the
values and relations of things, whether of moral
qualities, intellectual concepts, logical propositions, or
material facts, is obtained; as, by careful judgment he
avoided the peril; by a series of wrong judgments he
forfeited confidence.
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I oughte deme, of skilful jugement,
That in the salte sea my wife is deed. --Chaucer.
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2. The power or faculty of performing such operations (see
1); esp., when unqualified, the faculty of judging or
deciding rightly, justly, or wisely; good sense; as, a man
of judgment; a politician without judgment.
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He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy
poor with judgment. --Ps. lxxii.
2.
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Hernia. I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
Theseus. Rather your eyes must with his judgment
look. --Shak.
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3. The conclusion or result of judging; an opinion; a
decision.
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She in my judgment was as fair as you. --Shak.
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Who first his judgment asked, and then a place.
--Pope.
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4. The act of determining, as in courts of law, what is
conformable to law and justice; also, the determination,
decision, or sentence of a court, or of a judge; the
mandate or sentence of God as the judge of all.
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In judgments between rich and poor, consider not
what the poor man needs, but what is his own. --Jer.
Taylor.
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Most heartily I do beseech the court
To give the judgment. --Shak.
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5. (Philos.)
(a) That act of the mind by which two notions or ideas
which are apprehended as distinct are compared for the
purpose of ascertaining their agreement or
disagreement. See 1. The comparison may be threefold:
(1) Of individual objects forming a concept. (2) Of
concepts giving what is technically called a judgment.
(3) Of two judgments giving an inference. Judgments
have been further classed as analytic, synthetic, and
identical.
(b) That power or faculty by which knowledge dependent
upon comparison and discrimination is acquired. See 2.
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A judgment is the mental act by which one thing
is affirmed or denied of another. --Sir W.
Hamilton.
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The power by which we are enabled to perceive
what is true or false, probable or improbable,
is called by logicians the faculty of judgment.
--Stewart.
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6. A calamity regarded as sent by God, by way of recompense
for wrong committed; a providential punishment. "Judgments
are prepared for scorners." --Prov. xix. 29. "This
judgment of the heavens that makes us tremble." --Shak.
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7. (Theol.) The final award; the last sentence.
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Note: Judgment, abridgment, acknowledgment, and lodgment are
in England sometimes written, judgement, abridgement,
acknowledgement, and lodgement.
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Note: Judgment is used adjectively in many self-explaining
combinations; as, judgment hour; judgment throne.
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{Judgment day} (Theol.), the last day, or period when final
judgment will be pronounced on the subjects of God's moral
government.
{Judgment debt} (Law), a debt secured to the creditor by a
judge's order.
{Judgment hall}, a hall where courts are held.
{Judgment seat}, the seat or bench on which judges sit in
court; hence, a court; a tribunal. "We shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ." --Rom. xiv. 10.
{Judgment summons} (Law), a proceeding by a judgment creditor
against a judgment debtor upon an unsatisfied judgment.
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{Arrest of judgment}. (Law) See under {Arrest}, n.
{Judgment of God}, a term formerly applied to extraordinary
trials of secret crimes, as by arms and single combat, by
ordeal, etc.; it being imagined that God would work
miracles to vindicate innocence. See under {Ordeal}.
Syn: Discernment; decision; determination; award; estimate;
criticism; taste; discrimination; penetration; sagacity;
intelligence; understanding. See {Taste}.
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