ruling

The word “ruling” means an official decision made by a judge or other authority on a legal or procedural question. In plain terms, an official legal decision, or (as an adjective) currently in charge.

“Ruling” is pronounced ROO-lihng (/ˈɹuːlɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “ruling” used in a sentence: “The judge issued a ruling in favor of the defendant.”

Depending on how it is used, “ruling” can be a noun and an adjective.

“Ruling” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Ruling” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an official decision made by a judge or other authority on a legal or procedural question.

A ruling is an official decision made by a judge on a legal or procedural question, such as whether a piece of evidence is admissible. A verdict is the formal finding on the ultimate issue of a case, typically the decision of a jury on guilt or liability. Judges issue rulings throughout a trial, while a verdict comes at the end.

A ruling is a decision on a specific point, motion, or procedural question, while a judgment is the court's final, binding decision that resolves the case as a whole. A single case may involve many rulings but usually ends in one judgment.

Judges "hand down," "issue," or "make" a ruling, and a higher court may "uphold," "overturn," or "reverse" it. These collocations all draw on the noun sense of an official legal decision.