arbiter
noun
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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
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
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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
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
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing arbiter
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.
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Kids Definition
arbiter
noun
Legal Definition
arbiter
noun
Latin, onlooker, arbitrator
More from Merriam-Webster on arbiter
Nglish: Translation of arbiter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of arbiter for Arabic Speakers
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