sit in judgment

English

Alternative forms

• sit in judgement

Verb

sit in judgment (third-person singular simple present sits in judgment, present participle sitting in judgment, simple past and past participle sat in judgment)

1. To determine formally whether someone has done something wrong.
   • 2024, Trump v. United States (U.S. Supreme Court No. 23-939), Brief of petitioner:

     From Marbury through Fitzgerald, and beyond, this Court has consistently held that Article III courts cannot sit in judgment directly over the President’s official acts, whether before or after he leaves office. A fortiori, the courts cannot sit in criminal judgment over him and imprison him based on his official acts.

Further reading

• “sit in judgment”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “sit in judgment”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “sit in judgment”, in Collins English Dictionary.