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Judgment

n. thoughtful, capable professional

What it means

Meaning 1

The ability to weigh relevant facts and choose sensibly.

Reach for it when praising dependable decision-making, especially under uncertainty

Rina showed sound judgment by pausing the launch when the readings changed.

Meaning 2

A considered conclusion reached after comparing the available information.

Reach for it when naming a particular evaluation or decision rather than the skill behind it

The panel's judgment reflected both the evidence and the safety risk.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
everyday
warm
professional
  • Judgment (this word)
formal

Meaning 1: The ability to weigh relevant facts and choose sensibly.

  • everyday

    common sense

    Fits when the choice is practical and obvious once explained

    Careful Common sense can dismiss a genuinely complex question or another culture's norms.

  • warm

    wisdom

    Fits when experience and humane perspective guide the choice

    Careful Wisdom is broader and more complimentary than evidence about one decision supports.

  • formal

    discernment

    Fits when someone notices meaningful differences others miss

    Careful Discernment is insight, not necessarily the courage to make a decision.

  • formal

    prudence

    Fits when avoiding needless risk is the strength being praised

    Careful Prudence can sound overly cautious when bold action was required.

Meaning 2: A considered conclusion reached after comparing the available information.

  • everyday

    decision

    Fits when you mean the chosen course of action

    Careful Decision names the result without praising the thinking behind it.

  • everyday

    opinion

    Fits when the conclusion is personal and open to disagreement

    Careful Opinion understates a finding based on careful investigation.

  • professional

    assessment

    Fits when the conclusion follows a structured review

    Careful Assessment may remain provisional and need not settle what to do.

  • formal

    verdict

    Fits when an authorized body delivers a final conclusion

    Careful Verdict is too judicial or final for an informal opinion.

Opposites 3

  • folly
  • recklessness
  • indecision

Common phrases 3

  • sound judgment

    Her sound judgment kept the volunteers out of the flooded tunnel.

  • exercise judgment

    Supervisors may exercise judgment when the written rule misses a safety concern.

  • professional judgment

    The nurse documented the professional judgment behind the referral.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated