0
Winpoj Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

Judgemental estimates

0 Hello again,02br
02br
00I'm not quite certain what exactly a "judgemental estimate" means. Aren't all estimates based on some sort of judgement?02br
02br
00It is used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when talking about the probabilities of different effects of climate change:02br
02br
00"00Likelihood refers to judgemental estimates of confidence used by the Third Assessment Report of Working Group I00."02br
02br
00I also read a text by a climate-sceptic dismissing "judgemental estimates" as mere guesses.02br
02br
00Could you help me with some explanation?0-
  

Top answer

0 I agree with you - it's an odd phrase. It seems to be used in goverment and business reports, and perhaps can be regarded as jargon. So far as I can make out, here it means that the estimates have been given careful consideration in relation to climate change.

— Feebs11

  • 0 I agree with you - it's an odd phrase.
  • It seems to be used in goverment and business reports, and perhaps can be regarded as jargon.
  • So far as I can make out, here it means that the estimates have been given careful consideration in relation to climate change.
  • 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
0 I agree with you - it's an odd phrase. It seems to be used in goverment and business reports, and perhaps can be regarded as jargon. So far as I can make out, here it means that the estimates have been given careful consideration in relation to climate change. Of course, it could also mean that the estimates were harshly critical!0-
0
0
0 Many thanks, Feebs. Just according to your feeling, would you say that judgemental estimates are more or less reliable than just estimates? 02br
02br
00Are they "judgemental" because they are based on sound judgement (more reliable) or are they "merely" judgemental, i.e. based on judgement rather than on a precise calculation method (less reliable)?0-
0
0
0 If you want my honest opinion, I think it is typical bureaucratic jargon which is fundamentally meaningless!02br
02br
00I suspect the users of the phrase are thinking along the lines of your second suggestion. However, "judgemental" has two meanings: 01b00102b00 of or concerning the use of judgement. 01b00202b00 having an exces
0

Related Questions