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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of adjudicator
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
Michael Empric, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said rules require all food used in record attempts to be eaten or donated.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Michael Empric, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said rules require all food used in record attempts to be eaten or donated.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Record-Breaking Moment The official attempt took place on the Italian TV show Lo Show Dei Record in Milan, with Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Greenacre overseeing the proceedings.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2026
Thomas Bradford is one of 81 adjudicators the company employs across six continents.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
In a video tour of his collection with a Guinness adjudicator, Kardinal shared some of the stories behind his snow globes, which are lined up on shelves filling multiple rooms of the basement of his home.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
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
Michael Empric, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said rules require all food used in record attempts to be eaten or donated.
—Tassanee Vejpongsa, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Michael Empric, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said rules require all food used in record attempts to be eaten or donated.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Record-Breaking Moment The official attempt took place on the Italian TV show Lo Show Dei Record in Milan, with Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Greenacre overseeing the proceedings.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Mar. 2026
Thomas Bradford is one of 81 adjudicators the company employs across six continents.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
In a video tour of his collection with a Guinness adjudicator, Kardinal shared some of the stories behind his snow globes, which are lined up on shelves filling multiple rooms of the basement of his home.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicator
Noun
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But that didn’t mean referees Chris Rooney and Peter MacDougall had a quiet night.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Hathaway was penalized for two minutes for high sticking and visually pleaded with the referees on his way to the penalty box that Crosby dove.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Relatives of the defendant, about a half dozen of whom watched from the gallery at his arraignment, cheered the judge’s decision to cut Alexander loose.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The probe had been crippled by a federal judge's ruling quashing subpoenas her office issued to the Federal Reserve related to a multi-billion-dollar renovation of its headquarters in Washington.—
Sean Conlon,Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If catchers, pitchers, or hitters believed an umpire missed a call, they were suddenly allowed to challenge it.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the first inning on April 18, Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo challenged an 0-1 splitter that the umpire ruled a ball.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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The court struck down that portion of the legislation, a move that infuriated Cindy's family.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicator. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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