judges

IPA/dʒˈʌdʒɪz/
KK[dʒˈʌdʒɪz]IPA/dʒˈʌdʒɪz/

judges — noun

1. people in a court who hear cases, rule on legal questions, and decide sentences

1.nounB2
Definition

people in a court who hear cases, rule on legal questions, and decide sentences when the law has been broken

Example

The judges asked both lawyers to explain the missing phone records.

judges ask lawyers to explain evidence

Three judges entered the courtroom before the murder trial began.

Common collocations
  • appeal judges
  • federal judges
  • judges hear a case
  • judges issue a ruling
Synonyms
  • magistrates

    used for lower-court judicial officers in some legal systems

  • justices

    often used in the names of higher-court judges

  • jurists

    more formal and often broader, including legal scholars

Usage Note

Used for people with legal authority in a court. Distinguish from a jury, which may decide guilt in some systems but does not normally issue the final legal ruling or sentence.

Common Mistakes

The jury gave the sentence after the trial.
The judge gave the sentence after the trial.
A jury may decide guilt, but the judge gives the official sentence.

2. people chosen to decide which person, team, or piece of work should officially w

2.nounB1
Definition

people chosen to decide which person, team, or piece of work should officially win a contest

Example

The judges gave first prize to Naoko's photo of the night market.

judges give first prize

After the final dance, the judges compared their score sheets quietly.

Common collocations
  • panel of judges
  • judges give points
  • judges announce the winner
  • judges compare score sheets
Synonyms
  • adjudicators

    more formal and common in official competitions

  • scorers

    focuses on giving points rather than choosing the winner overall

  • panelists

    can refer to members of a judging panel, but is less precise

Usage Note

Common in talent shows, art contests, cooking competitions, and sports where scores are given for performance. Distinguish from 'referees', who mainly enforce rules during play.

Common Mistakes

The referee chose the best painting in the art show.
The judges chose the best painting in the art show.
In art or talent contests, judges rank entries; a referee mainly enforces rules in sports.

3. people with enough knowledge or experience to tell whether something is good, ba

3.nounC1
Definition

people with enough knowledge or experience to tell whether something is good, bad, or suitable

Example

Experienced food judges notice stale oil after one bite of fried fish.

judges with trained taste

Wine judges at the fair discussed which bottle had the cleanest finish.

Common collocations
  • judges of character
  • judges of taste
  • food judges
  • wine judges
Synonyms
  • experts

    broader term for people with specialist knowledge

  • critics

    often used for people who publish opinions about art, food, or culture

  • evaluators

    more formal and often used in work or academic settings

Usage Note

Often appears in patterns like 'judges of character', 'judges of taste', and 'judges of wine'. It emphasizes trained judgment, not an official job title.

Common Mistakes

She's a good judge for music.
She's a good judge of music.
This sense usually takes 'judge of' when you mean someone with expert taste.

judges — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Judge' is the broadest of these words for forming an opinion after looking at facts. You can judge people, plans, performances, and situations, and the word can sound personal as well as practical. 'Assess' is more deliberate and professional, especially for damage, risk, or someone's work. 'Evaluate' is even more formal and usually suggests a system or set of standards. 'Estimate' focuses on an approximate number, amount, distance, or time instead of overall quality. 'Consider' means thinking something over, often before making a choice, and it does not always end in a firm opinion. For example: 'The doctor judged the cut harmless.' 'The engineer assessed the bridge for damage.' 'We estimated the drive at three hours.'

judge ↗assess ↗evaluate ↗estimate ↗consider ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • judge by appearances
  • be quick to judge
  • sit as judges
  • panel of judges

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'judge' came into English through Old French forms such as 'juge' and 'juger', which go back to Latin words meaning 'to give a legal decision' and 'a person who says the law'. Because of that history, the earliest meaning was tied to courts and legal decisions. Later, English widened the word so it could also mean forming an opinion about people, actions, quality, and results. The noun plural 'judges' and the verb form 'judges' are regular English inflected forms built from the same base word.