Synonyms of arbiter

arbiter

noun

ˈär-bə-tər 

as in referee

a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy

the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• referee
• judge
• umpire
• arbitrator
• negotiator
• moderator
• magistrate
• adjudicator
• mediator
• jurist
• intermediary
• justice
• conciliator
• peacemaker
• intermediate
• reconciler
• mediatrix
• decider
• troubleshooter
• go-between

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of arbiter

The third album from Scottish folk artist Donovan placed him alongside the Byrds and the Yardbirds as an early arbiter of psychedelic rock. — Air Mail, 8 Aug. 2026

At the time, the Russian Federation submitted an appeal to CAS to challenge the ROC suspension, but the sports arbiter dismissed Russia’s case, upholding the IOC’s suspension. — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Other than the evening gown, it was all mostly designed by Michael Kors as part of his debut collection for Celine, the French label that would later become the arbiter of chic under Phoebe Philo’s creative direction in the 2010s. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Over the past six months, Fedorov and Syrsky frequently took their complaints about each other to the arbiter in their disagreements, President Volodymyr Zelensky. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026