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
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adjudicators
The competition included 23 players who supplied preliminary video performances; adjudicators selected 12 finalists.
—
Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026
The department disputes that, saying judges are independent adjudicators who decide cases individually.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 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
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
Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 6 May 2026
The department disputes that, saying judges are independent adjudicators who decide cases individually.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicators
Noun
-
From legislation to the confirmation of federal judges who decide constitutional questions, those policy outcomes start with election results.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
For decades, regulators and judges have also successfully forced pharmaceutical manufacturers to attend to the addictiveness of opioids and other pain relief medicines.—
Olivier Sylvain,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Guests also have access to a state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor wellness programming and pickleball courts, further reinforcing the property’s emphasis on holistic luxury rather than purely aesthetic travel experiences.—
Corein Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
The Trust for Public Land evaluates cities’ park systems based on number of parks, percentage of residents within a 10-minute walk to a park, percentage of city land dedicated to parks, access to park amenities like playgrounds and ball courts and per-resident park spending.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The referees argued over which wrestler hit first but the match was seemingly declared a tie.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Even at this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan, body contact in the women’s tournament was more apparent than ever, with referees allowing more checking to occur.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The umpires alert all players as Royals bench coach Paul Hoover places a phone call.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
He was also remembered for his cartoonish crashouts and the 141 times umpires ejected him during his Braves tenure.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicators. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
