judgment call
B2Formal to Semi-formal, Common in professional, sports, and news contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A decision that must be made based on personal evaluation and discretion rather than on a fixed rule or objective standard.
An instance where an authority figure (e.g., referee, manager, official) makes a subjective decision within the scope of their role, often in ambiguous or rapidly developing situations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a lack of clear right/wrong criteria; the decision is based on experience, intuition, or situational assessment. Frequently used to justify a difficult or controversial decision.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling: British English typically uses 'judgement call' (with an 'e'), though 'judgment' is also accepted in legal contexts. American English almost exclusively uses 'judgment call' (without the 'e').
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation. It carries the same core meaning of a discretionary decision in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties, especially in sports commentary, management, and legal/policy discussions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to make a judgment call (on/about sth)It was a judgment call.That's a judgment call for [person/role] to make.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A close call (related, but refers to a narrow escape, not a decision)”
- “To call it as one sees it (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A senior manager had to make a judgment call on whether to halt the project given the emerging market data.
Academic
In qualitative research, coding certain participant responses often involves a degree of judgment call by the analyst.
Everyday
Whether to let your teenager go to that party is a real judgment call for any parent.
Technical
The VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system was introduced to reduce, but not eliminate, the need for the on-field referee's judgment call on fouls.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The referee had to judgement-call the offside in real time.
- The manager judgement-called the situation and evacuated the building.
American English
- The umpire had to judgment-call whether the ball was fair or foul.
- She judgment-called the client's risk level based on incomplete data.
adverb
British English
- The policy was applied judgement-call, depending on individual circumstances. (Rare)
American English
- He acted judgment-call, trusting his instincts over the protocol. (Rare)
adjective
British English
- He faced a classic judgement-call situation with no precedent.
- The report highlighted several judgement-call moments in the crisis.
American English
- Coaching involves many judgment-call moments during a game.
- It was a judgment-call scenario for the ethics committee.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher's decision was a judgment call because the rules weren't clear.
- In football, the referee's decision is often a judgment call.
- Without a clear company policy, the team lead had to make a difficult judgment call regarding remote work.
- The journalist argued that the editor's removal of the paragraph was a subjective judgment call, not censorship.
- The Supreme Court's ruling acknowledged that lower courts would have to exercise considerable discretion, effectively making each future application of the law a nuanced judgment call.
- Critics contended that the central bank's intervention was less a technocratic necessity and more a political judgment call disguised as economic policy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a sports referee making a CALL during a game based on their personal JUDGMENT of the play, not just a strict rule.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUDGMENT IS A RESOURCE TO BE EXERCISED/CALLED UPON (e.g., 'exercise judgment', 'make the call').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid a direct calque like "*звонок решения". The correct equivalent is often "решение, основанное на личной оценке" or "субъективное решение/суждение". In sports, "решение судьи" captures it.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for any simple decision (it must involve subjectivity/discretion). *'Choosing tea over coffee was a judgment call.' (Too trivial). Spelling: Mixing up 'judgment' and 'judgement' inconsistently.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'judgment call' LEAST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a two-word compound noun, typically hyphenated when used as a modifier before another noun (e.g., 'a judgment-call situation').
Yes, it can be criticised or deemed poor in hindsight, as it is a subjective decision. The phrase often acknowledges the possibility of disagreement.
A judgment call implies a decision informed by expertise, experience, or reasoned assessment within a specific role. A 'guess' lacks this connotation of informed authority and is more arbitrary.
It is standard English, acceptable in formal writing and professional contexts. It is not slang, though it is very common in spoken language (e.g., sports commentary, business meetings).