Past tense of adjudge: declared or decided officially by a judge or court.
From Old French 'ajuger' and Latin 'adjudicare' (to award or decree), composed of 'ad-' (to) and 'judicare' (to judge). The past tense adds '-ed' in English.
When a judge 'adjudges' something, they're not just giving an opinion—they're officially determining it through the force of law, which is why this word carries the weight of authority in courtrooms and contracts.
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