arbiter

noun

ar·​bi·​ter ˈär-bə-tər How to pronounce arbiter (audio)
1
: a person with power to decide a dispute : judge
The mayor will act as the final arbiter in any dispute between board members.
2
: a person or agency whose judgment or opinion is considered authoritative
arbiters of taste

Did you know?

Are arbiter and arbitration arbitrary?

A large portion of the words we use today come from Latin roots. Many of these words retain a meaning that is closely related to their Latin ancestor, although sometimes they will drift a considerable distance from their roots (sinister, for instance, had the meaning of “on the left side” in Latin, but also meant “unlucky, inauspicious”). In some instances, a single Latin word will give rise to multiple words in English, some of which have strayed in meaning, and others which have not.

An example of this may be found in our word arbiter. We trace it to the Latin root with the same spelling, arbiter, meaning “eyewitness, onlooker, person appointed to settle a dispute.” A number of English words stem from the Latin arbiter, many of which have to do with judging or being a judge. An arbiter is a judge, and arbitration is the act of judging, or serving as an arbiter. Yet the most common meaning of arbitrary is “existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will,” which seems to be quite a bit different in meaning from the other two words. Arbitrary does indeed come from the same Latin root, and its oldest meaning in English was “depending on choice or discretion particularly regarding the decision of a judge or a tribunal.” But over time it developed additional senses that are somewhat removed from that initial meaning.

Examples of arbiter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Celebrities have a long and not very illustrious history of moonlighting as moral arbiters during major crises. Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023 In many states, such judges are no longer viewed as independent arbiters from a branch of government that operates outside partisanship but as a kind of super-legislator. Andrea Bernstein, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2023 Leaders of some of the nation’s most high-profile colleges and universities are re-evaluating their roles as moral arbiters and public commentators in response to the bloody conflict now unfolding in Israel and Gaza. Melissa Korn, WSJ, 18 Oct. 2023 Both umpire candidates boast resumes that appear deserving of joining the 10 arbiters already enshrined in Cooperstown. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2023 That part of its role is to act as an arbiter of significance, a national barometer of sorrow. Rory Smith, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Politicians value economists as arbiters of public-policy questions that may or may not lend themselves to economic analysis. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 16 Oct. 2023 Russia’s days as key arbiter and peacekeeper in the region may be numbered, as Armenia turns away from its traditional protector in Moscow and seeks new sources of support to the West. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2023 Unlike some other arbiters of taste, the Recording Academy always gives out two different flavors of song-of-the-year honors. Marc Hogan, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arbiter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English arbitour, arbitre, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin arbiter "eyewitness, onlooker, person appointed to settle a dispute," perhaps, if going back to *ad-biteros, from ad- ad- + *-biteros, derivative from a base *-bit- akin to bītere, baetere, bētere "to go," of obscure origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arbiter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near arbiter

Cite this Entry

“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arbiter. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

arbiter

noun
ar·​bi·​ter ˈär-bət-ər How to pronounce arbiter (audio)
1
2
: a person whose judgment or opinion decides what is right or proper
an arbiter of taste

Legal Definition

arbiter

noun
ar·​bi·​ter ˈär-bə-tər How to pronounce arbiter (audio)
Etymology

Latin, onlooker, arbitrator

More from Merriam-Webster on arbiter

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