Definition

Noun: 1. A judgment or opinion formed before the relevant facts are known or examined: A conclusion reached prematurely, often based on preconceived ideas, bias, or insufficient information.

Usage

• Prejudgment is an uncountable noun referring to the general act or process of judging prematurely.
• It can also be used as a countable noun to refer to a specific instance or example of such a judgment.
• It is often used in formal or critical contexts to describe a flaw in reasoning or fairness.

Examples

• The lawyer objected to the line of questioning, arguing it would lead to prejudgment by the jury.
• It is important to avoid prejudgment and listen to all sides of the story.
• His harsh criticism was based on a prejudgment of her abilities, not on her actual performance.
• The committee's report was dismissed as a prejudgment of the issue.

Advanced Usage

• "To make a prejudgment": To form a conclusion before having adequate evidence.
  • The reviewer was accused of making a prejudgment about the book based solely on its author.
• "In prejudgment of": Acting with a bias or predetermined opinion regarding something.
  • The manager acted in prejudgment of the case, which compromised the investigation's integrity.

Variants and Related Words

• Prejudge (verb): To judge or form an opinion about (someone or something) before having the necessary information.
  • We should not prejudge the outcome of the negotiations.
• Prejudicial (adjective): Harmful to someone or something; creating an unfair disadvantage.
  • The publicity was prejudicial to a fair trial.

Synonyms

• Preconception: An idea or opinion formed beforehand.
• Bias: Inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group.
• Premature judgment: A judgment made too early.
• Forejudgment (less common): Judgment before full examination.

Antonyms

• Open-mindedness: Willingness to consider new ideas.
• Impartiality: Equal treatment of all rivals or disputants; fairness.
• Objectivity: Judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices.

Noun

1. a judgment reached before the evidence is available