prejudge
gb/pɹid͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒ/ us/pɹid͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒ/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
judge before knowing the facts
To decide what you think before you know enough.
Usage pattern:
prejudge [someone/something] (as [something])
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with prejudice (noun) or be prejudiced; prejudge is a verb meaning “judge too early.”
Synonyms
judge in advance (A close paraphrase; more neutral and descriptive.)
|
jump to conclusions (More informal and emphasizes being too quick.)
|
assume (Weaker; can be neutral and not always unfair.)
Antonyms
withhold judgment (Emphasizes waiting until you have enough information.)
|
keep an open mind (Focuses on staying unbiased while considering evidence.)
Collocations
prejudge someone
|prejudge a candidate
|prejudge people
|prejudge the situation
|prejudge the issue
|prejudge the outcome
|prejudge the results
|prejudge based on appearances
|prejudge from first impressions
|try not to prejudge
Themes
opinions
|communication
|people
|thinking
Examples
- Try not to prejudge her just because she’s quiet in meetings.
- People often prejudge neighborhoods based on what they’ve heard, not what they’ve seen.
- The interviewer asked questions that seemed designed to prejudge the applicant.
Learner examples
- I don’t want to prejudge him.
- Don’t prejudge the answer.
Verb
legal
C2
action
2
decide a case too early
To decide something officially before hearing everything.
Usage pattern:
prejudge [a case/appeal] | prejudge the merits of [something]
Common mistake:
In legal contexts, prejudge often collocates with merits/case; it does not mean “predict” (guess) the outcome.
Synonyms
predetermine (More formal; stresses deciding in advance, not necessarily unfairly.)
|
preempt (Can mean acting in advance to prevent something; only sometimes fits legal contexts.)
Antonyms
hear out (Means to listen to all arguments before deciding.)
|
consider (General opposite idea: weigh evidence before deciding.)
Collocations
prejudge a case
|prejudge an appeal
|prejudge the merits
|prejudge the evidence
|prejudge the proceedings
|prejudge the outcome
Themes
law
|government
|decision_making
Examples
- The judge warned the jury not to prejudge the case before all the evidence was presented.
- The agency said its preliminary review did not prejudge the merits of the complaint.
- Commentators argued that the public statements could prejudge the investigation.
Learner examples
- The jury must not prejudge the case.
Grammar
Dictionary form
prejudge
IPA
GB/pɹid͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒ/
US/pɹid͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
pre - judge (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (judge)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: prejudge
- 3rd Person Singular: prejudges
- Present Participle: prejudging
- Past: prejudged
Word family
Expressions
i don't want to prejudge (the outcome)
1/ˈaɪ dˈoʊnt wˈɔnt tə pɹid͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒ ðə ˈaʊtkˌʌm/
fixed phrase
avoid deciding too early
I don’t want to decide before I know the facts.
Examples
- I don't want to prejudge the outcome, but we should prepare for delays.
- I don't want to prejudge him, so let's talk to him before we decide.
- I don't want to prejudge the situation until we hear both sides.
without prejudging (the merits/outcome)
1/wɪðˈaʊt pɹd͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒɪŋ ðə mˈɛɹɪtsˈaʊtkəm/
fixed phrase
formal
without implying a decision
without deciding too early
Examples
- Without prejudging the merits, the panel agreed to review the evidence.
- The statement was issued without prejudging the outcome of the investigation.
- The policy was proposed without prejudging what the final report would recommend.