Judgment or Judgement l Difference & Examples

Judgment and judgement are two different spellings of the noun for the act of forming an opinion, the ability to form an opinion, and the opinion itself. It’s also used to refer to a formal legal decision made by a court.

The spelling varies based on whether you’re writing UK or US English.

  • In US English, “judgment” (no “e”) is the only correct spelling.
  • In UK English, “judgement” (with an “e”) is standard, but “judgment” is used in legal contexts.
Examples: “Judgment” and “judgement” in a sentence
I always listen to Lily’s advice because she has good judgment/judgement.

Carol made a hasty judgment/judgement of Meera’s character.

Andrew sometimes wishes he had better judgment/judgement.

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Exception (UK): “Judgment” in a legal context

While judgement is the standard spelling in most contexts in UK English, judgment is used instead in legal contexts. This usage is recommended by various style guides, including Oxford style.

Example: “Judgment” in UK English
The defendant did not agree with the judgment of the court.

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“Against my better judgement/judgment”

Against my better judgement/judgment is a phrase used to express awareness that something you have done was unwise or contrary to your principles. It means the same whether written with or without an “e.”

Example: “Against my better judgement/judgment” in a sentence
Against my better judgement/judgment, I drove with a flat tire.

Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing.