value judgment
C1-C2Formal / Academic
Definition
Meaning
An assessment or conclusion about the worth, quality, goodness, or importance of something, based on personal or societal standards rather than objective facts alone.
A judgment that reveals the underlying values, beliefs, or biases of the person making it. It is often used to highlight the subjective, non-scientific nature of a statement.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used critically to distinguish between descriptive statements (facts) and prescriptive or evaluative statements (opinions). Implicit value judgments are those not openly stated.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences. Both varieties use the term identically. 'Judgement' is the standard spelling in British English, while 'judgment' is more common in American English, though 'judgement' is also accepted in the US for the noun.
Connotations
Neutral-to-critical term in both varieties. Often used to question the objectivity of a statement.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in formal/academic contexts in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
To make a value judgment about NPIt is a value judgment that CLAUSENP is a value judgmentVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To sit in judgment (on/of)”
- “A judgment call (related, but implies a decision based on subjective evaluation)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used cautiously in reports to separate data-driven analysis from personal opinion, e.g., 'The recommendation avoids value judgments about the team's morale.'
Academic
Central in philosophy, ethics, and social sciences to discuss the is-ought problem and objective vs. subjective reasoning.
Everyday
Less common. Used when someone wants to point out that a statement is an opinion, not a fact, e.g., 'Calling that music "bad" is just a value judgment.'
Technical
In statistics/research methodology, refers to the non-quantifiable elements influencing interpretation of data.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We should not value-judge historical figures by modern standards.
- It is difficult to discuss art without value-judging to some degree.
American English
- The committee was careful not to value-judge the community's traditions.
- His review seemed to value-judge the author's lifestyle more than the book.
adverb
British English
- He spoke value-judgmentally about the political candidates.
- The article was written value-judgmentally from the outset.
American English
- She looked at the painting value-judgmentally, focusing on its message rather than its technique.
- He interpreted the data value-judgmentally, searching for a moral lesson.
adjective
British English
- She made several value-judgmental comments about their parenting style.
- The report's value-judgmental language undermined its credibility.
American English
- Avoid value-judgmental language in the scientific paper.
- His tone was overly value-judgmental for a neutral moderator.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Saying one film is 'better' than another is a value judgment.
- My mum made a value judgment about my new clothes.
- The historian tried to describe events without making an explicit value judgment.
- The debate revealed a fundamental value judgment about the role of government.
- Critics argue that the economist's supposedly neutral model contains hidden value judgments about social welfare.
- Distinguishing between a scientific observation and a value judgment is crucial in ethical research.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
VALUE JUDGMENT: Think of a judge's gavel (judgment) next to a price tag (value). It's about 'ruling' on the 'worth' of something.
Conceptual Metaphor
ASSESSING WORTH IS WEIGHING ON SCALES (implies a balancing of qualities to determine value).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as "ценное суждение". The correct conceptual equivalent is "оценочное суждение" or "суждение о ценности".
- Do not confuse with "суждение о стоимости" (judgment about monetary cost).
- The phrase often has a critical nuance missing in the neutral Russian "мнение".
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling: 'value judgement' (UK) vs. 'value judgment' (US).
- Confusing it with 'value for money'.
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He value-judged the proposal' is non-standard).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'value judgment' used most accurately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The term itself is neutral, describing a type of statement. However, it is often used in a critical context to highlight a lack of objectivity.
All value judgments are opinions, but not all opinions are value judgments. A value judgment specifically assesses the *worth* or *goodness* of something. An opinion can be about taste or simple preference without such an evaluation.
Completely avoiding them is extremely difficult, as our language and thinking are steeped in values. However, in formal and scientific writing, one can strive to minimise them by focusing on objective evidence and describing rather than evaluating.
A moral judgment is a specific *type* of value judgment focused on right and wrong, good and evil. A value judgment can be broader, assessing aesthetic, practical, or cultural worth (e.g., 'This design is elegant').