adjourn
uh-JURN
/əˈdʒɜːrn/
To break off a meeting, legal case, or game with the intention of resuming it later.
Adjourn implies a temporary suspension, not a permanent ending, often with a specified time or condition for reconvening.
The story behind the word. The word 'adjourn' comes from the Old French `ajourner`, meaning 'to put off to another day.' This itself is derived from the Latin `ad` ('to') and `diurnus` ('daily'). So, to adjourn originally meant to postpone something 'to another day.' While it still carries that sense of postponement, it now more broadly refers to temporarily suspending a formal proceeding.
Word relationships
- postpone: To delay an event to a later time, but not necessarily a temporary break within an ongoing event.
- suspend: To temporarily stop something, often due to a rule or condition.
- recess: A period of time when a formal meeting or court case is temporarily stopped.
- convene: To call a meeting to order.
- commence: To begin.
- continue: To carry on without interruption.
Word family
- adjournment (noun): the act of adjourning; a temporary break
Collocations
- adjourn a meeting
- adjourn the court
- adjourn for lunch
- adjourn sine die (indefinitely)
Example sentences
- "After three hours of intense debate, the chairperson decided to `adjourn` the meeting until a consensus could be reached." The judge decided to adjourn the trial until the following morning.
- "Let's `adjourn` for lunch and reconvene at 1 PM to continue our discussion." Congress will adjourn for its summer recess next week.
Memory hook
To 'ADJOURN' is to 'ADD' a 'JOURN-ey' (day) to the meeting, continuing it later. Add a day
When not to use
Do not use 'adjourn' for simply leaving a place or ending a casual conversation; it's reserved for formal proceedings.
Fun facts
- In parliamentary procedure, the motion to adjourn is typically a privileged motion, meaning it takes precedence over other motions.
- To 'adjourn sine die' (Latin for 'without a day') means to adjourn indefinitely, without setting a date for the next meeting.
Related words
Explore more words
take a break, suspension, convoke, hiatus, deliberate, adjudicate
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