adjourn

verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

adjourned; adjourning; adjourns

transitive verb

: to suspend indefinitely or until a later stated time

adjourn a meeting

Court is adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.

intransitive verb

1

: to suspend a session indefinitely or to another time or place

Congress will not adjourn until the budget has been completed.

2

: to move to another place

We adjourned to the library.

Synonyms

• suspend
• postpone
• recess

Examples of adjourn in a Sentence

The chairperson has adjourned the meeting.

Court is adjourned until 10:00 tomorrow.

The meeting adjourned at 4:00.

Congress will not adjourn until the budget has been completed.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Texas House adjourned on Monday after the arrest warrants were approved and is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday. —Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025

But due to a lack of a quorum caused by the Democrats’ absence, the chamber adjourned until 1 p.m. Tuesday. —Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Perhaps the more significant takeaway is how little public grumbling there was after the House adjourned Thursday for the long President's Day weekend. —John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Many Republicans in Congress are backing a measure that supports the delivery of more documents — though the House adjourned for August recess before taking up votes, angering some of their Senate GOP counterparts. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ajornen, ajournen, adjornen "to set a day for reconvening (a court or assembly), suspend temporarily, postpone," borrowed from Anglo-French ajorner, ajourner, from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + jorn, jor "day," going back to Late Latin diurnum (Latin, "daily ration, daybook"), from neuter of Latin diurnus "daily" — more at diurnal entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing adjourn

• adjourn to

Rhymes for adjourn

• concern
• decern
• discern
• downturn
• extern
• heartburn
• interne
• nocturne
• return
• sunburn
• unworn
• upturn

Kids Definition

adjourn

verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

1

: to bring or come to a close for a period of time

Congress adjourned

adjourn a meeting

2

: to move to another place

let us adjourn to the sitting room

adjournment

-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

adjourn

transitive verb

ad·​journ ə-ˈjərn 

: to put off further proceedings of either indefinitely or until a later stated time : close formally

adjourning the session

intransitive verb

: to suspend a session or meeting till another time or indefinitely : suspend formal business or procedure and disband

the congress will adjourn next month

adjournment noun