Definition

Noun: 1. An individual's own opinion or assessment: The act or result of forming an opinion or making a decision based on one's own beliefs, experiences, and reasoning, rather than on external rules or objective facts. 2. A legal judgment against a person or entity: A court ruling that holds an individual (or a corporation) personally liable for the payment of monetary damages.

Usage Examples

• Individual Opinion:
  • You should use your own personal judgment to decide which candidate is best for the job.
  • The reviewer's personal judgment of the film was very positive, though it received mixed reviews elsewhere.
• Legal Context:
  • The court entered a personal judgment against the defendant, ordering him to pay $50,000 in compensation.
  • Unlike a judgment against property, a personal judgment can be enforced against the debtor's future earnings.

Advanced Usage

• "To exercise one's personal judgment": To actively apply one's own reasoning and discretion in making a decision.
  • Managers are encouraged to exercise their personal judgment in handling customer complaints.
• "A matter of personal judgment": Something that depends on individual opinion and cannot be decided by a fixed rule.
  • Whether the artwork is beautiful or not is a matter of personal judgment.

Variants and Related Words

• Judgment (n): The general ability to make considered decisions; an opinion or conclusion; a formal decision by a court.
• Personal opinion (n): A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
• Discretion (n): The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

Synonyms

• Individual assessment
• Subjective opinion
• Discretion
• Legal liability (for the legal sense)

Related Phrases

• Against one's better judgment: Doing something even though one thinks it is not wise.
  • She lent him the money against her better judgment.
• To reserve judgment: To delay forming or stating an opinion.
  • I will reserve judgment until I have seen all the evidence.

Noun

1. a judgment rendered against an individual (or corporation) for the payment of money damages