judgment of Solomon

noun

A judgment in which a stratagem is invoked in order to reveal the true feelings of the opposing parties.

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Meanings

nounjudgment of Solomon (plural judgments of Solomon)

plural judgments of Solomon · alternative judgement of Solomon

  1. A judgment in which a stratagem is invoked in order to reveal the true feelings of the opposing parties.

Origin

From a story in the Old Testament, in which King Solomon ruled between two prostitutes, both claiming to be the mother of a baby, by threatening to cut the baby into two. The actual mother begged for her child while the fake one was indifferent towards Solomon's threat.

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Cite this entry
APA

judgment of Solomon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judgment%20of%20Solomon

MLA

“judgment of Solomon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judgment%20of%20Solomon. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “judgment of Solomon,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/judgment%20of%20Solomon.

Source: judgment of Solomon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.