What does adjudge mean?
Adjudge is a formal verb meaning to declare or determine something officially, particularly through the decision of a court or other competent authority. It carries two closely related senses: first, the formal pronouncement of a legal status or outcome — as when a person is adjudged bankrupt, guilty, or insane — and second, the more general act of judging or deeming something to be of a certain quality, as when an umpire adjudges a delivery fair or a panel adjudges one entry the winner. The word belongs firmly to formal registers: it appears in statutes, court records, sporting decisions, and official reports rather than in casual conversation, where simpler words like 'deem' or 'decide' prevail. Derived from Latin roots relating to judgment via Old French, it shares ancestry with 'judicial', 'jury', and 'prejudice'. Its enduring presence in legal language makes it valuable reading for anyone engaging with formal, judicial, or officiating texts.
verbTo adjudge is to formally declare or determine something, especially by a court or other authority, or to judge or consider something to be a particular thing.
- To declare or pronounce formally by judicial or authoritative decision (e.g. to adjudge someone guilty or bankrupt).
- To consider or deem something to be of a specified quality or character.
"The court adjudged the property forfeit to the state."
"The referee adjudged the goal to have been scored legitimately."
"She was adjudged the winner of the competition after a recount of the votes."
When a court 'adjudgeth' you bankrupt, you're not just judged — you're officially, legally declared it: a word straight from medieval law that still appears in modern statutes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adjudge
Adjudge comes from the Old French 'ajugier', derived from Latin 'adjudicare', formed from 'ad-' (toward) plus 'judicare' (to judge), itself rooted in 'jus' or 'juris' meaning law. It entered English in the late Middle Ages and has retained its formal, legal character ever since. It shares its Latin root with cognates such as 'adjudicate', 'judicial', 'jury', and 'prejudice', all descending from the same family of words concerning law and judgment.
Related word forms
How adjudge is actually used
Formal register; found chiefly in legal contexts and official pronouncements. In everyday speech, 'deem' or 'consider' usually replaces it. Common in British legal usage ('adjudged bankrupt') and in sports officiating.
Easily confused with adjudge
Adjudicate means to hear and settle a case or act as a judge in a dispute, while adjudge means to formally declare or pronounce a judgment or decision about something.