A standard of review used by appellate courts to review decisions of lower courts. A judgment will be termed an abuse of discretion if the adjudicator has failed to exercise sound, reasonable, and legal decision-making skills (something that never happens here the LII).

See, e.g. Wilton v. Seven Falls Co., 515 US 277 (1995) and General Electric Co. v. Joiner, 522 US 136 (1997).