adjudicate

verb

ad·​ju·​di·​cate ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkāt 

adjudicated; adjudicating

transitive verb

: to make an official decision about who is right in (a dispute) : to settle judicially

The school board will adjudicate claims made against teachers.

intransitive verb

: to act as judge

The court can adjudicate on this dispute.

adjudicative

ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkā-tiv 

-kə-

adjective

adjudicator

ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkā-tər 

noun

adjudicatory

ə-ˈjü-di-kə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

Did you know?

Adjudicate, which is usually used to mean "to make an official decision about who is right in a dispute," is one of several terms that give testimony to the influence of jus, the Latin word for "law," on our legal language. Others include judgment, judicial, prejudice, jury, justice, injury, and perjury. What's the verdict? Latin "law" words frequently preside in English-speaking courtrooms.

Synonyms

• adjudge
• arbitrate
• decide
• determine
• judge
• referee
• rule (on)
• settle
• umpire

Examples of adjudicate in a Sentence

The board will adjudicate claims made against teachers.

The case was adjudicated in the state courts.

The board will adjudicate when claims are made against teachers.

Recent Examples on the Web

One person died before his case was adjudicated in court. —Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 11 Sep. 2023

Such claims are inherently difficult to adjudicate because of many of the factors at issue in this case: a lack of eyewitnesses and recordings, the passage of time and the thorniness of litigating consent. —USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023

Leavitt notes that he was appointed by President Biden to a seat on the Merit Systems Protection Board, which adjudicates federal workplace disputes. —Ken Dilanian, NBC News, 19 July 2023

Approximately 561 defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. attorney's office. —Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 11 July 2023

Federal courts traditionally prohibit cameras in the courtroom, but the new case would be adjudicated in Georgia Superior Court, where TV coverage is routine. —Peter Funt, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2023

And while Colorado has a red-flag law aimed at temporarily removing gun access from those deemed a danger to themselves or others, it might not have been applied to Aldrich if his 2021 case had never been adjudicated or if no one ever pursued the intervention. —Andi Babineau, CNN, 26 June 2023

The latter penalty would be in play only if the case was adjudicated in Suffolk Superior Court, Dearborn said. —Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2023

The accusation turns out to be old news that was adjudicated more than a decade ago. —Mark Paoletta, WSJ, 4 June 2023

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin adjūdicātus, past participle of adjūdicāre "to adjudge"

First Known Use

circa 1695, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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Kids Definition

adjudicate

verb

ad·​ju·​di·​cate ə-ˈjüd-i-ˌkāt 

adjudicated; adjudicating

: to decide, award, or sentence judicially

adjudicate a claim

adjudication

-ˌjüd-i-ˈkā-shən

noun

Legal Definition

adjudicate

verb

ad·​ju·​di·​cate ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkāt 

adjudicated; adjudicating

transitive verb

1

: to settle either finally or temporarily (the rights and duties of the parties to a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding) on the merits of the issues raised

2

: to pass judgment on as a judge : settle judicially

3

: to pronounce judicially to be

was adjudicated a bankrupt

was adjudicated the child's father

4

: to convey by judicial sale

intransitive verb

: to come to a judicial decision : act as judge

the court adjudicated upon the case

adjudication

ə-ˌjü-di-ˈkā-shən 

noun

adjudicative

ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkā-tiv, -kə-

noun

adjudicator

-ˌkā-tər 

noun

Etymology

Latin adjudicare to award in judgment, from ad to, for + judicare to judge see judge