Adjudge

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈd͡ʒʌd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. To formally determine or declare a decision or judgment about something
2. To make an official ruling or conclusion regarding a matter
3. To evaluate and pronounce a verdict or judgment in an authoritative manner

Etymology: The verb "adjudge" reached English in Middle English as "ajugen" or "adjugen," borrowed from Old French "ajugier," which in turn came from Latin "adiudicare." That Latin verb is built from "ad," meaning "to," and "iudicare," "to judge," so its core sense is simply to bring a matter to judgment. English has kept a close relative of the same Latin source in "adjudicate," a doublet that entered the language separately and by a later route. The pair shows how one Latin verb can split into two English words. "Adjudge" came through Old French and took the shape of an ordinary medieval verb, while "adjudicate" was taken more directly from Latin in a later period. Both preserve the idea of formally deciding a question, though "adjudge" has long leaned toward a pronouncement made by a court or authority, as in a judge declaring a party guilty or a prize awarded to someone.

Synonyms: decide, rule, determine, judge, arbitrate

Antonyms: ignore, overlook, dismiss, neglect, abandon