prejudge
C1Formal; common in legal, academic, and critical discourse.
Definition
Meaning
To form a judgment about (someone or something) before having sufficient information or before a proper investigation.
To make a premature decision or assumption, often implying a biased or unfair conclusion reached without due process or consideration of all facts. Can also refer to a legal context where a judge or jury is influenced prior to a formal hearing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term carries a strong negative connotation of unfairness and haste. It is often used in contexts where impartiality is expected (e.g., justice, evaluation, analysis). The prefix 'pre-' explicitly marks the action as premature.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally formal in both variants.
Connotations
Slightly stronger association with legal proceedings in American English.
Frequency
Moderately low frequency in both, with slightly higher use in American English due to its prominence in legal and media commentary on judicial processes.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] prejudge [Object][Subject] prejudge [Object] as [Complement]It is wrong/unfair to prejudge [Object]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't judge a book by its cover. (conceptual)”
- “Jump the gun.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used cautiously in HR contexts, e.g., 'We must not prejudge candidates based on their previous company's reputation.'
Academic
Common in critical analysis and research methodology, e.g., 'The study was designed to avoid prejudging the results.'
Everyday
Used in discussions about fairness and assumptions, e.g., 'You're prejudging me without hearing my side of the story.'
Technical
Core term in legal ethics and procedural fairness, e.g., 'The judge was recused to avoid any appearance of prejudging the evidence.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee must take care not to prejudge the issue before the consultation ends.
- It is profoundly unfair to prejudge him based on tabloid headlines.
American English
- The media coverage has prejudged the defendant, making a fair trial difficult.
- We cannot prejudge the results of the investigation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- It's not right to prejudge someone you've just met.
- Try not to prejudge the movie from its trailer.
- The journalist was accused of prejudging the scandal before all witness statements were collected.
- A good manager listens first and avoids prejudging employee conflicts.
- The arbitrator's earlier public comments suggested he had prejudged the dispute, leading to a challenge of his impartiality.
- Philosophical inquiry requires one to suspend belief and not prejudge the answer.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: PRE + JUDGE. You are judging BEFORE (PRE) you should.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS BLINDNESS / A FAIR PROCESS IS A CLEAN SLATE. Prejudging is 'peeking before the trial' or 'writing on the slate before the facts are presented'.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not directly equivalent to 'предрассудок' (prejudice). 'Prejudge' is an action (судить заранее). 'Prejudice' is often a noun (предубеждение).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'prejudge' (verb) with 'prejudice' (noun).
- Using it without a direct object (*'It's easy to prejudge.' vs. 'It's easy to prejudge people.')
- Overusing in informal contexts where 'jump to conclusions' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'prejudge' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it almost always carries a negative connotation of making an unfair, premature judgment. Neutral alternatives like 'anticipate' or 'predict' exist for less critical contexts.
'Prejudge' is a verb meaning the act of judging prematurely. 'Prejudice' is primarily a noun meaning a preconceived opinion not based on reason, or it can be a verb meaning to cause such an opinion in someone.
Extremely rarely. The 'pre-' inherently implies the judgment is made too early, which is typically seen as a flaw. One might say 'I prejudged her and was pleasantly surprised,' but this still frames the initial act of prejudging as a mistake.
No, 'prejudge' is a transitive verb and takes a direct object. Correct: 'prejudge the issue'. Incorrect: 'prejudge about the issue'.