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
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Recent Examples of adjudicator
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
In recent months, EOIR leadership has criticized judges for not efficiently managing their caseloads, and has encouraged adjudicators to streamline asylum reviews and give oral, as opposed to written, decisions on case dismissals.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Sep. 2025
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
In recent months, EOIR leadership has criticized judges for not efficiently managing their caseloads, and has encouraged adjudicators to streamline asylum reviews and give oral, as opposed to written, decisions on case dismissals.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicator
Noun
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Cernak grabbed Tkachuk, the two shared a few expletives, and a referee blew his whistle.—
Chris Kudialis,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
-
For the first time in a year, the Supreme Court just played referee in a big way.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The judge expressed disbelief in a 66-page opinion.—
Steve Karnowski,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Cash told the judge that the loitering charge is discriminatory against homeless people and should be dropped.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But Tuesday’s game featured a barrage of challenges with Thomas Fornarola, a minor league umpire working his first big league spring training, per the Wendelstedt Umpire School, behind the plate.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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After the play, an umpire came out and checked how tightly the ball was lodged under the padding.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But unlike an initial version of the law that was made public in December, the county will levy no fines on retailers for failing to do so — instead leaving any decision about punishment to a local court.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
-
After sophomore Trent Perry, who finished with 13 points, scored a pair of layups in the second half, Baker-Mazara sprinted down the court for a three-point play, which cut UCLA’s lead to six.—
Aaron Heisen,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicator. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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