Judgment is the ability to make sensible decisions or form reasonable opinions. It can also mean an official decision made by a court.
From Old French “jugement”, from Latin “iudicium” meaning “a decision” or “a trial”, from “iudex” (judge). It has always carried both the ideas of thinking and deciding.
We often think judgment is about being right, but it’s really about how you handle uncertainty. Good judgment is less about knowing everything and more about knowing what you don’t know. In a way, humility is part of high-quality judgment.
Judgment, especially in legal and moral contexts, has historically been exercised by institutions dominated by men, often embedding gendered assumptions about behavior, credibility, and roles. Women’s and gender‑diverse people’s actions were frequently judged more harshly or by different standards.
Use judgment neutrally, and when discussing people’s judgment, avoid gendered stereotypes (e.g., that one gender is more or less rational or emotional). In legal contexts, recognize that judgments reflect the values and biases of their time.
["decision","ruling","assessment","discernment"]
Women legal scholars and practitioners have critically examined how judgments reflect gender bias and have worked to reform standards and procedures.
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