form an opinion

form an opinion (about someone or something)

To view someone or something in a certain way; to start to have a particular opinion about someone or something. I try to get to know someone before forming an opinion about them.
See also: form, opinion, someone
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

form an opinion

to think up or decide on an opinion. (Note the variations in the examples.) I don't know enough about the issue to form an opinion. Don't tell me how to think! I can form my own opinion. I don't form opinions without careful consideration.
See also: form, opinion
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

form an opinion

Make up one's mind or decide what one thinks about something. For example, I need more facts before I can form an opinion about this issue, or Don't tell me your views; I want to form my own opinion.
See also: form, opinion
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • better of
  • begin with
  • begin with (someone or something)
  • be/have done with somebody/something
  • be in line with (someone or something)
  • (someone or something) promises well
  • bird has flown, the
  • beware of
  • beware of (someone or something)
  • be rough on (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
A leader must not judge and form an opinion about his team instead he should get feedback to arrive at a decision.
So Mr Cameron and your ex-politician friends who crawl out of the woodwork every now and then to give us advice we never took before, here is some advice for you, stop thinking of us as immature children unable to form an opinion of our own.
The international Venice Commission - The European Commission for Democracy through Law - has laid down on referendums that: "...the use of public finds for (referendum) campaigning purposes must be prohibited in order to guarantee equality of opportunity and the freedom of voters to form an opinion. In addition the public authorities at every level must not engage in one sided campaigning but show neutrality."
"As an artist, I'm not here to judge, or form an opinion, or even influence you with my personal feelings," said Gooding Jr.
He said that in an effective doctorpatient encounter, one needs to be confident that adequate information is retrieved from the patient by addressing their key concerns, form an opinion and then provide this understanding directly to the patient about his or her illness.
"I have to first form an opinion," she said about the Social Democrats' call to introduce a point system for those seeking to immigrate to Europe's biggest economy.
Love him or loathe him, you can only form an opinion when the man opens his mouth.
So it is wrong to form an opinion based on the actions of a few and suggest that the entire Sri Lankan society is embracing extremism and intolerance.
I don't really know him." Enough to form an opinion, though.
As a retired officer, I am now a member of the public and entitled to form an opinion, consider performance and comment constructively on a police service that I, along with the rest of the community, pay for.
On whether the RSS was embarrassed over the charges against its preferred nominee for the BJP president's post, he replied in the negative and said one cannot form an opinion on the basis of allegations.
form an opinion and then express it, it gets to see what no one else has
Bloggers are generating bigger headlines than many conventional media types, and the voice of the individual grows in strength as the common man realizes he does not have to count on media filters to form an opinion. I've got a newsflash: We the people are the professionals, sir.