判決（はんけつ、hanketsu）
- judgment

The Japanese word 判決 (pronounced はんけつ, *hanketsu*) means "judgment," "verdict," or "decision" in a legal context. It refers to the final ruling or determination made by a court of law or other judicial body after considering the evidence presented in a case. This word encapsulates the outcome of a trial or hearing, signifying the official declaration of a party's guilt, innocence, liability, or other legal status. It is a crucial term in legal discourse.

⚫︎裁判所は、被告に有罪の判決］を言い渡した。 Translation: The court delivered a guilty verdict to the defendant. ⚫︎判決が下されるまで、時間がかかった。 Translation: It took a long time until the verdict was handed down. ⚫︎控訴審で、原判決が覆された。 Translation: The original judgment was overturned in the appellate court.

判決 is used specifically in legal settings. You would use it when discussing court proceedings, trials, and legal rulings. It's suitable for formal contexts, such as news reports, legal documents, or formal conversations about legal matters. It’s important to remember that 判決 always refers to a formal decision made by a court or legal authority.

判決 is written in kanji: 判決. The pronunciation is はんけつ when written in hiragana. There are no variations in okurigana. It is not written in katakana.

⚫︎ 決定 (kettei) - "decision," but can be used in other contexts beyond legal matters. ⚫︎ 裁定 (saitei) - "judgment," often used in arbitration or other forms of dispute resolution. ⚫︎ 評決 (hyōketsu) - "verdict" (specifically referring to the decision of a jury).

There aren't direct antonyms for 判決 in the way there are opposites for adjectives. Instead, one might consider the processes that come *before* a 判決, such as: ⚫︎ 審理 (shinri) - "trial" or "hearing," the stage *before* the verdict. ⚫︎ 証拠 (shōko) - "evidence," the information considered *before* a decision. ⚫︎ 争点 (sōten) - "issue in dispute," the matters being debated.

その弁護士は、最終的な判決に不服を申し立てた。》 ・Translation: The lawyer appealed the final judgment. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 判決 to refer to a court's final decision, and it’s followed by an action: an appeal.

陪審員は、被告人の無罪の判決を下した。》 ・Translation: The jury delivered a verdict of not guilty for the defendant. ・Explanation: This example illustrates that the word 判決 describes the verdict (the jury's decision), and specifying its nature (guilty or not guilty).

The word 判決 is a compound word formed from two kanji: 判 (han), meaning "judgment," "decision," or "discernment," and 決 (ketsu), meaning "decision," "determination," or "settlement." The combination of these two characters creates a word that specifically means a formal, official legal judgment.