Forejudgements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The conclusions or opinions formed in advance of a thorough evaluation of the evidence
2. Preconceived beliefs about a person or situation that may influence impartial judgment
3. Assumptions made without careful consideration, potentially leading to biased evaluations

Etymology: "Forejudgements" is the plural of "forejudgement", a noun meaning opinions formed beforehand. It is built from the prefix "fore-", meaning "before" or "in advance", attached to "judgement", a judgement being a conclusion reached after weighing evidence. Put together, the parts say exactly what the word means: a verdict reached before the facts have been examined. The prefix "fore-" is an old English element, the same one found in "foresee" and "forewarn", so the formation follows a pattern English has long used to mark something done ahead of time. "Forejudgement" is a plain compound of this kind, and its meaning is transparent from its parts, with no change of sense along the way.

Synonyms: prejudgments, preconceptions, biases, assumptions, premature judgments

Antonyms: open-mindedness, objectivity, impartiality