adjudicate
uh-JOO-dih-kayt
/əˈdʒuːdɪkeɪt/
To make a formal judgment or decision about a disputed matter or athletic controversy.
Implies a deep, analytical review of evidence or rules before delivering a final, binding decision, often in a legal or high-stakes context.
The story behind the word. The word traces back to the Latin 'judex', a judge. To adjudicate is literally 'to speak the law' to a specific situation, bringing order to a chaotic dispute by applying established rules.
Word relationships
- judge: Judge is a broader, everyday term, while adjudicate is highly formal and often refers to a structured administrative or legal process.
- arbitrate: Arbitrate specifically involves settling a dispute between two opposing parties, while adjudicate is simply making a formal ruling on a matter.
- ignore: Ignore means to disregard a dispute entirely, whereas adjudicate means to formally resolve it.
Commonly confused with
- advocate: An advocate pleads a case for one side, whereas an adjudicator must remain neutral and make the final decision.
Word family
- adjudication (noun): The action or process of adjudicating.
- adjudicator (noun): A person who adjudicates.
Collocations
- adjudicate a dispute
- adjudicate a claim
- authority to adjudicate
Example sentences
- "The committee was assembled to adjudicate the dispute regarding the athlete's eligibility." Sports arbitration
- "A neutral third party was selected to adjudicate the contract disagreement between the player and the franchise." Legal disputes
Memory hook
Think of a 'judge' who is 'accurate' when they 'ad-jud-icate'. A judge speaking the law.
When not to use
Do not use for quick, split-second decisions made on the field; use 'call' or 'decide' instead.
Fun facts
- In international sports, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland is the ultimate body that adjudicates high-profile Olympic disputes.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.