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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adjudicators
Noun
-
Federal judges push back As the flood of habeas petitions washed into federal courtrooms in Denver, judges have repeatedly rejected ICE’s effort to rewrite federal law and have ordered bail hearings or the immediate release of immigrants.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Access to such human capital permitted me to accelerate the new law school’s ability to serve its community and so more quickly build a favorable reputation among judges and lawyers.—
Stephen B. Young,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For associations, unit owners will know what to expect in actions seeking to remove a director, and courts could become more involved in governance disputes involving dysfunctional boards, developer transitions, or allegations of financial mismanagement.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Ann McColl, a constitutional scholar and former general counsel for the North Carolina Association of Educators, suggested the issues Leandro addressed may be in North Carolina courts again.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So everything looks like a real game, just without terrible rec league referees.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Wembanyama had tripped over his shoelace, the referees determined.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps pitchers and umpires are simply adjusting to the new technology, and by midsummer any early kinks will be forgotten.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
So why do it that way instead of how umpires have historically constructed their zones?—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adjudicators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adjudicators. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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