Definition

1. Noun:
   • An assessment that reveals more about the values of the person making the assessment than about the reality of what is assessed: A "value judgment" is a subjective opinion or conclusion based on personal beliefs, morals, or standards, rather than on objective facts or evidence. It reflects the evaluator's own principles.

Usage

• A "value judgment" is used to describe a statement or decision that is inherently subjective. It is often discussed in contexts like ethics, criticism, and social sciences to highlight the difference between factual reporting and opinion-based evaluation.
• It is typically a countable noun.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Calling that artwork "tasteless" is a value judgment, not a factual description.
  • The reviewer's critique was filled with personal value judgments about the author's lifestyle.
  • We must try to separate scientific data from our own value judgments.

Advanced Usage

• "To make a value judgment": To form or express a subjective opinion.
  • It is difficult for historians to avoid making value judgments about past events.
• "Inherent value judgment": A bias or subjective view that is built into a statement or framework.
  • The policy proposal contains an inherent value judgment about what constitutes a "good" society.

Variants and Related Words

• Value-laden (adj): Describing language or analysis that contains implicit value judgments.
  • The report was criticized for its value-laden terminology.
• Judgmental (adj): Inclined to make critical moral judgments about others.
  • She avoided being judgmental about their choices.

Synonyms

• Subjective assessment: An evaluation based on personal feelings or opinions.
• Moral judgment: A judgment based on beliefs about right and wrong.

Related Phrases

• Pass judgment: To criticize or express a strong (often moral) opinion about someone or something.
  • It's not our place to pass judgment on their culture.

Related Idioms

• A matter of taste: Used to indicate that something is subjective and based on personal preference, not objective quality.
  • Whether the film is good or bad is a matter of taste, not a factual value judgment.

Noun

1. an assessment that reveals more about the values of the person making the assessment than about the reality of what is assessed