1
as in judges
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 courts
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 adjudicators
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
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
Edlow told The Associated Press that the guidance was intended to identify support for terrorist ideologies—not to penalize ordinary political criticism—when adjudicators evaluated applicants for green cards and other benefits.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This led to many longtime employees of companies leaving the United States when USCIS adjudicators rejected their H-1B applications.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the plans, an independent body of adjudicators would be created to handle asylum appeals and reduce the backlog of 106,000 cases, including 51,000 appeals with average wait times exceeding a year.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government.
—Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
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
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
Edlow told The Associated Press that the guidance was intended to identify support for terrorist ideologies—not to penalize ordinary political criticism—when adjudicators evaluated applicants for green cards and other benefits.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
This led to many longtime employees of companies leaving the United States when USCIS adjudicators rejected their H-1B applications.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the plans, an independent body of adjudicators would be created to handle asylum appeals and reduce the backlog of 106,000 cases, including 51,000 appeals with average wait times exceeding a year.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government.
—Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicators
Noun
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The series currently under development will stage a competition to find a new member of the show's elite squad of ballroom aces, with current pro Mark Ballas and his mother, English ballroom legend Shirley Ballas, serving as judges.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
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The ruling is a reminder that some judges view antitrust lawsuits over Division I athlete eligibility as fundamentally a question of economic competition—namely, an athlete selling their services to the marketplace of college buyers—rather than an educational or social issue.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those federal statutes are enforceable through the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which directs courts to set aside agency actions when they are taken without observance of procedural requirements and in abuse of agency discretion.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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Brendan Reilly highlighted their differing approaches in the Tuesday night debate to the office that oversees the 17-member County Board, forest preserves, and budgets for the county’s massive health system, courts and jail.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But now, inevitably, some referees jazz up their announcements.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The student section was starting to storm the floor before referees ruled the ball had gone out of bounds off Oak Forest with two seconds left, giving the Hawks the ball on the baseline.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Supporters say the legislation is needed to protect sports officials, send a message and also because unruly behavior by fans, parents and coaches has led to an officials shortage, sending some into early retirement and discouraging others from becoming referees, umpires or officials.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
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However, when they are made aware of delivery issues, game umpires are positioned to observe the delivery for three ends.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicators. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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