adjudicator

noun

Definition of adjudicatornext
1
as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy since they seemed to be in a hopeless stalemate, both labor and management agreed to use an independent adjudicator to decide the terms of the contract

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2
as in judge
a public official having authority to decide questions of law the appellate court refused to hear the case, thus allowing the judgment of previous adjudicators to stand

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adjudicator Guinness World Records adjudicator Andy Glass verified the official ticket sales figures and confirmed the record to Variety. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 17 July 2026 In order to officially break the record, there were rules that had to be followed, said Chloe McCarthy, an official adjudicator for Guinness World Records. — Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 12 July 2026 Styles was presented with his certificate by Guinness World Records adjudicator Will Munford on stage. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 Immigration adjudicators may discourage visa holders like Maya from seeking employment after layoffs, thereby limiting their opportunities to stay and work in America. — Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Confirming the fort’s record breaking size required a visit from an official Guinness World Records adjudicator. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026 The competition included 23 players who supplied preliminary video performances; adjudicators selected 12 finalists. — Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026 The judge prohibited redetention without notice and a hearing before a neutral adjudicator. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 The instructors at the Atomic Ballroom, based in Costa Mesa, led the dance record effort, giving a step-by-step instruction to those who showed up, the Guinness World Record adjudicator counting the crowd. — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicator
  1. referee
  2. judge
  3. umpire
  4. court
Noun
  • Five players and the referee tried to catch it, Steph recalled, while its owner sobbed on the sidelines.
    — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The league on Monday suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games for swearing at Arizona’s Trey McBride and referee Adrian Hill for one game for yelling and gesturing at Minnesota’s Eric Wilson.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of referee
Noun
  • Perhaps a handful of judges would be confirmed, but Cabinet secretaries would face long slogs.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The judge’s order expires later this week, and the three outlets are seeking a preliminary injunction to sideline the ban in the longer term.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of judge
Noun
  • Sun appeared about to win the point when Gauff stopped playing, but the chair umpire then ordered the point to be replayed.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Friends described him as a dedicated father, business owner and active member of the Severna Park community who served as a Little League umpire and youth sports coach.
    — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of umpire
Noun
  • The companies say a flood of lawsuits in state courts is not the way to deal with the global issue.
    — LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The two defendants in the Manchester case spoke in court through interpreters, only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses, PA reported.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of court

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Cite this Entry

“Adjudicator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicator. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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