- Meaning of “Judging”
“Judging” is the present participle of the verb “judge”. It generally has two main aspects of meaning. Firstly, it can refer to forming an opinion or making an assessment about something or someone based on available information. For example, “She was judging the quality of the painting by looking closely at its details.” Here, it implies using certain criteria to evaluate the painting.
Secondly, in a more formal or legal context, it means to preside over a court case and make a decision about whether someone is guilty or innocent, or to settle a dispute. For example, “The judge was judging the case fairly and impartially.”
- Synonyms for the “Forming an Opinion/Assessing” Sense of “Judging”
- Evaluating: This means carefully considering and assessing something to determine its value, quality, or significance. For example, “The teachers are evaluating the students’ performance based on their test scores and class participation.” It focuses on a systematic and often objective analysis, similar to the way we form opinions when “judging” in a non-legal context.
- Assessing: It involves making a judgment about the nature, ability, or quality of something or someone. For example, “The manager is assessing the potential risks before making a business decision.” Like “judging”, it entails looking at different aspects to come up with a view about the subject at hand.
- Appraising: This word emphasizes determining the worth or value of something. For example, “The real estate agent is appraising the house to set its selling price.” It is often used when we want to find out the monetary or qualitative value, and it shares the idea of making a judgment regarding certain qualities with “judging”.
- Synonyms for the “Presiding over/Legal Decision-making” Sense of “Judging”
- Adjudicating: This verb specifically means to make a formal judgment or decision in a legal or official dispute. For example, “The arbitrator was adjudicating the labor dispute between the workers and the company.” It is closely related to the legal role of a judge when “judging” a case and implies using proper procedures to reach a conclusion.
- Presiding: While it means to be in charge of a meeting, ceremony, or in this case, a court session, it also implies overseeing the process that leads to a judgment. For example, “The judge was presiding over the trial and ensuring everything was conducted properly.” It is an important part of the overall activity of “judging” in a legal setting.
- Deciding: Although a bit more general, it can be used to mean making a final determination in a legal context. For example, “The jury was responsible for deciding whether the defendant was guilty or not.” When it comes to reaching a conclusion in a case, “deciding” has a similar function to “judging” in the legal sense.