different between judgment vs distinction

English

Alternative forms

• judgement (Commonwealth)
• iugement, iudgement, iudgment, iudgemente, iudgmente (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English juggement, borrowed from Old French jugement, from Late Latin i?dic?mentum, from Latin i?dic?. Displaced native doom.

Morphologically judge +? -ment

Pronunciation

• enPR: j?j'm?nt, IPA^(key): /?d??d?.m?nt/

Noun

judgment (countable and uncountable, plural judgments)

1. The act of judging.
2. The power or faculty of performing such operations; especially, when unqualified, the faculty of judging or deciding rightly, justly, or wisely

   a man of judgment

   a politician without judgment
3. The conclusion or result of judging; an opinion; a decision.
   • 1589–93 William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV:iv

     She in my judgment was as fair as you.

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 14:

     Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck;

     And yet methinks I have astronomy ...

4. (law) The act of determining, as in courts of law, what is conformable to law and justice; also, the determination, decision, or sentence of a court, or of a judge.
   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     In judgments between the Rich and the Poor: it is not to be considered what the poor man needs, but what is his own

   • Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment.

5. (theology) The final award; the last sentence.

Usage notes

See Judgment: Spelling for discussion of spelling usage of judgment versus judgement. Briefly, the form without the -e is preferred in American English, and in law globally, while the form with the -e is preferred in non-legal use in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South African English.

Like abridgment, acknowledgment, and lodgment, judgment is sometimes written with ‘British’ spellings in American English, as judgement (respectively, abridgement, acknowledgement, and lodgement).

The British spelling preserves the rule that G can only be soft while preceding an E, I, or Y.

Derived terms

Translations

References

• judgment in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

From Middle English distinccioun, from Old French distinction (attested 12th century), from the Latin accusative distinctionem, action noun of distinguo (“I distinguish”). Used in English from the late 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??st??k??n/

Noun

distinction (countable and uncountable, plural distinctions)

1. That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.
2. The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination.
3. Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished.
   • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Steven Gerrard goal against Poland ensures England will go to World Cup (in The Guardian, 15 October 2013)[2]

     Leighton Baines, playing with distinction again, sent over a left-wing cross with pace and accuracy. Welbeck, prominently involved all night, could not reach it but Rooney was directly behind him, flashing his header past Szczesny.

Antonyms

• (that which distinguishes): confusion

Derived terms

• contradistinction
• distinction without a difference

Related terms

• distinct
• distinguish
• distinguished
• distinguishable
• distinguishness

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French distinction (attested in the 12th century), from borrowed from the Latin accusative distinctionem, the action noun of distinguere (“distinguish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.t??k.sj??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: distinctions

Noun

distinction f (plural distinctions)

1. distinction (difference, honour)

Related terms

• distinct
• distinguer

Further reading

• “distinction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).