judgment call

noun

1. Sports. an observational ruling by a referee or umpire that is necessarily subjective because of the disputable nature of the play in question, and one that may be appealed but not protested, as opposed to a matter of official rule interpretation:

   Balks and close plays at first are of course judgment calls, and umpires are human.

2. any subjective or debatable determination; personal opinion or interpretation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of judgment call¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

In short, the existing data makes fracking seem like a judgment call.

From The Daily Beast

“Our EP made a judgment call as to what he felt was appropriate for our show, our audience, and our time period,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

Daniel Stone explains the controversial judgment call—and how the “gory” images could have backfired.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• attitude
• concept
• consideration
• feeling
• impression
• judgment
• mind
• notion
• opinion
• point of view
• sentiment
• thought