審判（しんぱん、shinpaん）
- referee

The Japanese word 審判 (しんぱん, shimpan) primarily means "judgment," "trial," or "referee." It encompasses the act of making a decision, judging, or officiating, often in a formal or official capacity. The specific meaning depends on the context, which can be legal, sporting, or even figurative. It implies a process of evaluation and a final determination based on evidence, rules, or standards. The word's meaning can also extend to the person performing the judgment, such as a referee or judge.

⚫︎ 裁判官は被告を審判］する。 Translation: The judge will judge the defendant. ⚫︎ サッカーの試合では、主審が審判］を行います。 Translation: In a soccer match, the referee makes the judgment. ⚫︎ 彼女は彼の行動を厳しく審判］した。 Translation: She judged his actions severely.

審判 is used in formal and informal situations, depending on the context. In legal contexts, it is used when discussing court trials and rulings. In sports, it's used when talking about referees and their decisions. In a more general sense, it can describe the act of judging or evaluating something, like a person's character or the quality of a product. The choice of 審判 over other words depends on the level of formality and the specific nuance you want to convey.

The word is typically written in kanji as 審判. The reading is しんぱん (shimpan) in hiragana. There are no significant variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 判決 (はんけつ, hanketsu): judgment, verdict (usually legal) ⚫︎ 判定 (はんてい, hantei): judgment, decision (often in sports) ⚫︎ 評価 (ひょうか, hyouka): evaluation, assessment ⚫︎ ジャッジ (jajji): judgment, judge (loanword)

There aren't direct antonyms, but words that imply the opposite of judging or evaluating could be used, such as: ⚫︎ 容認 (ようにん, younin): acceptance, approval ⚫︎ 支持 (しじ, shiji): support ⚫︎ 擁護 (ようご, yougo): protection, advocacy

彼はその事件の審判］に不満を抱いていた。 ・Translation: He was dissatisfied with the judgment of the case. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone's feeling about a decision that was made in a legal setting.

試合は最終的にビデオ判定で審判］された。 ・Translation: The game was ultimately judged based on video review. ・Explanation: This example refers to a situation in sports, where the referee's judgment is influenced by video replay.

The kanji 審 (shin) means "to examine," "to judge," or "to scrutinize," and 判 (han) means "judgment," "verdict," or "decision." Together, 審判 combines the ideas of careful examination and a final judgment or verdict.