1
as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
since they seemed to be in a hopeless stalemate, both labor and management agreed to use an independent adjudicator to decide the terms of the contract
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in judge
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
the appellate court refused to hear the case, thus allowing the judgment of previous adjudicators to stand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of adjudicator
The department disputes that, saying judges are independent adjudicators who decide cases individually.
—
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson was on hand Monday for the auction's closure, which was livestreamed on YouTube, and confirmed the price was a record not just for a Pokémon card, but for any trading card sold at auction.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Thomas Bradford is one of 81 adjudicators the company employs across six continents.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
In a video tour of his collection with a Guinness adjudicator, Kardinal shared some of the stories behind his snow globes, which are lined up on shelves filling multiple rooms of the basement of his home.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Decker, in another YouTube video, set the record for the most pizza restaurants visited in New York City in 24 hours, with a Guinness World Records adjudicator at his side.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
But to be qualified to be a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars is not the same as being an adjudicator in the ballroom world.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
The Justice Department’s defense primarily rests on the notion that agency adjudicators like the Merit Systems Protection Board — not federal courts — must decide the disputes.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 15 Oct. 2025
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson was on hand Monday for the auction's closure, which was livestreamed on YouTube, and confirmed the price was a record not just for a Pokémon card, but for any trading card sold at auction.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Thomas Bradford is one of 81 adjudicators the company employs across six continents.
—Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Lahoud said the adjudicators follow a flowchart — and if the applicant meets the minimum criteria, the person can expect an approval notice to arrive within days.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
In a video tour of his collection with a Guinness adjudicator, Kardinal shared some of the stories behind his snow globes, which are lined up on shelves filling multiple rooms of the basement of his home.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Decker, in another YouTube video, set the record for the most pizza restaurants visited in New York City in 24 hours, with a Guinness World Records adjudicator at his side.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
But to be qualified to be a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars is not the same as being an adjudicator in the ballroom world.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
The Justice Department’s defense primarily rests on the notion that agency adjudicators like the Merit Systems Protection Board — not federal courts — must decide the disputes.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicator
Noun
-
Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
After the tackle, Sonis popped up and immediately addressed the referee, appearing to apologize.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Michael Judd, an attorney for news media, urged the judge to keep the upcoming hearing entirely open.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The judge ruled the case wouldn’t be heard until there was an administrative ruling on whether the child, identified in the suit as EE, qualified for the NICA program.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, home plate umpire Chris Guccione had to wait to hear from the technician in the press box and then announce the result of the challenge.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Especially in an era when fans can look at a rectangular box on their TV and tell if the umpire is right.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 9,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Needing to go the length of the court, Palisades inbounded the ball to Levey, who was pinned along the sideline near the scorer’s table with time running out and had to launch an off-balance shot that fell short.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Players were offered $10,000 to $30,000 bribes per game, and Smith paid players after successful bets, according to court documents.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicator. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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