prejudge · verb — to form a judgment of (something) in advance. It carries an Arena rating of 1385, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, prejudge ranks #1,847 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #2,544 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,494 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #6,841 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words.
Why “prejudge” is a great word
To form a definitive conclusion before the evidence has been fully presented. Its etymology traces from Middle French préjuger, from Latin praeiudicare, from prae- ("before") and iudicare ("to judge"), first attested in English in the 16th century. Unlike "prejudice," which is the settled, often toxic state of a biased mind, or "presume," which is to suppose based on likelihood, to prejudge is the active, premature gavel-strike of the intellect. It is the dismissive wave before the sentence is finished, the book snapped shut after a glance at its cover, the verdict sealed before the final witness has spoken—a small, private miscarriage of justice we commit daily against the unknown.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French préjuger, itself an adaptation of Latin praeudico, praeiudicare. Doublet of prejudicate.
verb
- To form a judgment of (something) in advance.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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