What does forejudgement mean?
Forejudgement is a formal noun for the act of reaching a conclusion about a person, situation, or issue before the relevant facts are known. It is more than simply having an opinion in advance: the term usually implies that the judgment has been formed prematurely and may therefore be unfair or unreliable. A speaker might criticize a newspaper for forejudging a trial, or describe a manager’s forejudgement of a new employee as a failure to remain open-minded. In everyday use, the word is uncommon and sounds more British because of its -judgement spelling; American English generally writes forejudgment. It is related in meaning to prejudgment, but forejudgement more explicitly emphasizes haste, bias, or a closed mind. Its usefulness lies in naming a specific kind of epistemic error: treating an anticipated conclusion as if it were already established by evidence.
nounThe act of forming a judgment about a person, situation, or issue before the relevant evidence or information is available. It often implies premature, biased, or closed-minded judgment.
- The act of judging a matter in advance, especially before sufficient evidence or full information is available.
"His refusal to hear the witness suggested a degree of forejudgement that no later evidence could overcome."
"The newspaper was accused of forejudgement after publishing its verdict before the investigation had concluded."
"Despite her many admirable qualities, her open-mindedness could not entirely overcome the forejudgement brought by her background."
The regular plural is rare in use because the word itself is uncommon.
"The defences argued that the newspaper articles contained separate examples of forejudgements that had distorted the proceedings."
Forejudgement is judging the case before the evidence has finished telling it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does forejudgement come from?
The modern English compound combines fore-, a prefix denoting action before a specified time or event, with judgement, which derives through Old French jugement from Latin judicium, meaning a judgment or verdict. Forejudgement consequently developed the sense of judging or deciding in advance. Related English forms include prejudge, judgment, judge, and judicial, all ultimately connected with the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How forejudgement is actually used
A relatively uncommon and formal term, especially in British English, with a strongly critical connotation. It is more specific than simply holding an opinion in advance, since it suggests that a conclusion has been reached prematurely or prejudicially.
Easily confused with forejudgement
Forejudgment is the standard US spelling of the same word; forejudgement is the form chiefly used in British and other varieties using the -judgement spelling.
Both can describe judging in advance, but forejudgement more explicitly emphasizes a premature or closed-minded conclusion formed before the available information has been considered.