What does forejudgment mean?
Forejudgment is the act of reaching a conclusion about a disputed or future matter before the relevant evidence has been examined. It is not simply the same as making a prediction: a prediction may be based on sound probability, whereas forejudgment implies that preconceptions, prejudice, or an incomplete record are influencing the conclusion. The word is especially common in legal, journalistic, and educational discussion, where fairness requires a person to distinguish an initial hypothesis from a fixed verdict. A critic may describe a question as having been forejudged when the outcome was effectively settled in advance. In less technical writing, forejudgment can sound formal and accusatory, but it usefully names a familiar risk: deciding first and then seeking evidence that appears to confirm what was already decided.
nounA judgment formed about a matter before all relevant evidence has been considered, especially an opinion influenced by preconceptions rather than evidence.
- The act of forming a judgment before a matter has been fully examined, especially when preconceptions or incomplete information influence the judgment.
"His remarks revealed an unfortunate tendency toward forejudgment, dismissing the allegation before the investigation had begun."
"The defendant's supporters accused the panel of forejudgment because it had rejected the appeal before hearing the new testimony."
"The editor urged reporters to avoid forejudgment and wait for the official findings."
The plural is grammatically standard but rare; the singular is much more common.
"Her later doubts showed how easily forejudgments can distort an investigation."
The twist in forejudgment is that the verdict comes before the evidence—and may then shape what counts as evidence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does forejudgment come from?
The English noun was formed by combining fore-, meaning "before," with judgment. The older element judgment comes through Old French jugement from Latin iudicium, a decision or judicial act, ultimately from Latin iudex, "judge." Related English words such as adjudicate, judicial, judicious, and injunction continue the same Latin judicial root.
Related word forms
How forejudgment is actually used
Forejudgment is a formal word used particularly in legal, journalistic, and educational contexts. Describing a person's thinking can be accusatory, while describing an investigative or decision-making process is less directly condemnatory. The spelling "forejudgement" is also encountered in British usage.
Easily confused with forejudgment
Prejudice is a preconceived attitude or bias, whereas forejudgment is a premature judgment or conclusion formed about a particular matter.