judge's seat

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The chair or raised place where a judge sits while hearing a case in court.

   Grammar: Countable and usually used with 'the': the judge's seat was empty.

   Patterns

   • the judge's seat
   • sit in the judge's seat

   The clerk walked over to the judge's seat and handed up a folder.

   From the judge's seat you can see the whole courtroom, including the jury box.

2. 2nounsingularfigurative

   The position or role of being the person who decides a competition or makes a ruling.

   Grammar: Figurative use; often in the phrase 'in the judge's seat'.

   Patterns

   • in the judge's seat
   • put someone in the judge's seat

   After years as a critic, she found herself in the judge's seat at the film festival.

   Whoever sits in the judge's seat has to stay neutral.

Word forms

Common combinations

sit in the judge's seat

For the final round, a retired magistrate sat in the judge's seat.

the judge's seat in court

The microphone at the judge's seat was not working.

rise from the judge's seat

The judge rose from the judge's seat and left the room.

Synonyms and how they differ

bench

In legal English 'the bench' means the judge's place or the judge personally, and it is far more common than 'judge's seat'.

chair

Neutral and general; it names the piece of furniture but says nothing about courts.

Word family

judge noun

The official who decides cases in court.

judgment noun

The official decision a court gives.

Commonly confused: judge's seat or jury box?

Practice

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